The 101st Hunger Games
by Team Shadow
Summary: One year after 23 tributes and families perished, the Gamemakers are ready to concoct brand new horrors for another set of tributes to compete in. Ladies and gentlemen, let the 101st Hunger Games begin.
1. The Beginning

President Pitheart sits in his chair, facing the large television in front of him. He just watched 24 tributes volunteer or get reaped. He turns the TV off and looks at the Head Gamemaker, Cassius.

"What do you think of this bunch?" Cassius shrugs.

"I try not to make assumptions on the reaping, where many of them are terrified. I like to wait until the private sessions, that's when their personalities truly shine." He takes a sip of wine.

"I see. Let's toast to the 101st Annual Hunger Games."

* * *

I'm starting another one of these! The tribute form and tribute list are on my profile, right underneath the 100th Hunger Games. You can reserve spots for three days, and you can submit as many tributes as you'd like. May the odds be ever in your favor!


	2. The Victory Tour

Lilac Suede, Victor of the 100th Hunger Games

I kneel at the gravestone, head held low. I'd cry, but I've lost the feeling. In fact, most of my feelings have been buried away for so long. I wonder if they'll ever come back.

Treuse Custer, died at a young age of fifteen. I lost him nearly six months ago and still I miss him every day. Many nights he visits me in my dreams. We kiss, before he is ripped away from me and I feel empty again. What I'd give to see him one last time.

I stand up and brush the dirt off of my jeans. I turn and walk slowly back to my house in the Victor's Village.

I enter to my stylists getting my outfit ready. Today, I leave for the Victory Tour. I have to stand in eleven other districts and give a speech. I have to remember the 23 who were lost, when all I do is try to forget.

Before long I am dressed up. I look years older with all the makeup they covered me in. I close my eyes. I never envisioned this.

My parents and brother hug me tight to say goodbye. They are safe because of me, and that's something they'll never forget.

The first stop is District Twelve. I give a heartfelt speech. Jaiden Dust and Sera Grey, both were too young, they didn't have a chance.

Next, we stop in District Eleven. Peach Cheyenne and Titus Greene, both perished in the bloodbath. Another speech, another sad district.

District Ten is the hardest for me. While I never met Carmen Lokien, I personally killed the boy, Freddie Cloud. He would have won if I didn't. I try to get that thought out of my head as I push through the speech. A tear falls for Freddie.

District Nine is rough as well, Lucia Starlet and Grant Remington. Grant was way too young, and Lucia was extremely intelligent. There was always something about her, the way she held herself. I respected her.

We skip my district and go to District Seven, Chalice Durham and Cedar Jacobs. While I didn't know either of them, Chalice was way too young. I shed a tear when I watched her father's interview. He really believed in her.

District Six, Rhea Gault and Mallory Weston. Mal was a good kid, who was brutally murdered by a Career, same with Rhea. They deserved more.

We move on to District Five. I see Marjorie Highbranch's best friend, a boy named Courtney. He looks like he's been crying every day. Someone told me Thaddeus Greene had an infant brother who died when he did. I choke in a sob.

Onto the first Career District, District Four. Gemma Reed was a unique Career, smart and a decent killer who made too many enemies. Dylan Nero was noble, he's with his sister now.

The two from Three remind me of myself and Treuse. Lumen Maahes and Telle Zaavan, committed to saving each other. The girl was too young, too pure.

I can feel the burning in all the eyes of the people of Two. Cleo Camillo and Phoenix Midnight. I won, and they didn't.

The last district, with Jagger Blackwood and Crystal Clearwater. Crystal could have and almost killed me. From what I saw of Jagger, he was a good kid.

Twenty three dead, and twenty three more coming in the next months. I have to sit with two of them, tell them how to win and watch them compete. I have to do this year after year, until I drop dead myself. I shut my eyes.

It's going to be a long life.

* * *

I thought I'd write a little something remembering the fallen from the 100th Hunger Games. The reapings will start soon!


	3. District One Reapings

Glamour Wintersilk, 18

Queenie stands opposite of me, with a sword in her hand. I lunge at her, colliding with her sword. I dive roll and get behind her, taking out her knees. If this were the Games, I'd stab her in the back. But this is training, and Queenie is no threat to me.

"How are you always so perfect?" She asks me. I laugh and flip my hair over my shoulder.

"Oh, it's natural." I wink at her and she rolls her eyes with a smile on her face.

"Shall we?" I nod and we put our swords back. I grab my towel to wipe the sweat off of my face as I hear a whistle behind me.

I turn to see a group of boys checking me out. I turn completely and put my hands on my hips, leaning to one side.

"Hey boys." I flirt with them. One of them waves at me and I wink back. I feel a tug on my arm.

"Let's gooooo." Queenie complains. We laugh together as we leave the training room and go back to my house.

I enter my parents house in the Victor's Village and see my two brothers have joined us for lunch. While they each have their own house in the village, but they spend a lot of time with the rest of us.

"Hiiii" I say with a large smile on my face. I hug Beau first and he pretends to hold his nose.

"Oh god, you smell." I pull back and smack him on the arm. He laughs and I give Logan a hug next. He does not resist like Beau.

"I always liked you more anyway." I say jokingly. We share a laugh before I disappear into my room with Queenie.

I hop in the shower right away, letting her pick out my outfit. I'll look gorgeous no matter what.

I get out of the shower and admire myself in the mirror. Platinum blonde hair with gorgeous green eyes. Curves in the right places, muscles in the rest. Loved by many, jealously with the rest. I love it.

I enter my room and Queenie has laid out a frilly teal dress. She helps me dress and I put on matching shoes. At the last moment I put on my grandmother's emerald gem ring. It matches my eyes.

"You look stunning." She says. I smile. I do, indeed.

I let her pick out one of my dresses for her to wear at the reaping. Unlike me, she doesn't have a family of victors.

She settles with a cute white dress and we head back into the kitchen with my family. They serve us a nice lunch and go over basic training.

Both my parents lecture me in what to and not to do once I volunteer. All eyes will be on me from the moment I step onto that stage. I have to make them like and fear me at the same time. I have the advantage of all four of my family members being past victors. They truly know what to expect.

I kiss my parents goodbye, give a friendly wave to my brothers, and Queenie and I exit my house arm in arm.

I see the boys from the training center signing in. I run up to the cutest one and give him a kiss on his cheek.

"I'll come find you when I return as a victor." His friends pat him on the back and I rejoin Queenie at the back of the line.

"You're going to get in trouble, one day." I laugh. Maybe one day, sister. Maybe one day.

We sign in and shuffle to the back of the crowd. I see the familiar faces of girls who trained next to me in the academy. Some give me scolding looks. Many are mad they weren't picked to volunteer. Tough love.

Our escort bounces onto stage, welcoming us to the 101st Hunger Games. We give a polite clap and she glows.

"Let's waste no time and meet our female tribute!" I don't let her take a step before I walk out of the crowd and onto the stage. I look at our escort.

"Glamour Wintersilk, I volunteer." The escort gleams with pride and the audience applauses. I cannot wait to return home, as victor.

* * *

Majesty Holland, 17

I sit on the towel with Jewel as we overlook the trees that surround District One. I take a bite of my apple and admire Jewel. Her hair flows in the wind, only adding to her beauty. I smile.

"What are you thinking about?" She asks me. I place my apple down in the basket.

"A lot. Everything. Nothing." I say. And it's true. Today is the day I'm to volunteer for my district, bring pride to my family. However, I feel no pride, no joy.

"You shouldn't do it. You should let someone else volunteer." Her diamond blue eyes look into my eyes, pleading.

"I wish I could." I say, taking her hand. My parents have always been bitter that they never got the opportunity to volunteer for their district. So they vowed to have children that would. My three older sisters have failed them, so I"m their last hope. I can only imagine how distraught they would be if I bailed out.

She starts packing up our picnic and I help, wishing time could stand still. Wishing I could spend the rest of the day out here with her.

We stand up and I embrace her tightly.

"I'm sorry." I say. I hear her muffle a sob and she hugs me back.

Hand in hand, we return to her neighborhood. I kiss her goodbye as she dips into her own house. I make the long trek back to my house. My parents appear to be waiting for me as I walk in.

"Where were you?" My mother asks. Not training.

"I was with Jewel." I say shortly. I try to walk past them, but my father puts his hand on my shoulder, stopping me.

"Do not fail us, son." He says dryly. I nod and continue to the back of the house.

I shut my bedroom door and exhale. I close my eyes and imagine myself as one of the other boys training in the academy. One of the boys who wants to compete in the Games, bring pride and glory to his district. I try to be happy when I think about volunteering. But I only find sadness.

I walk to my dresser and pull out a white cotton cardigan and some black pants with matching black shoes. It's simple, yet nice.

I brush my hair back and exit my bedroom. I find my sister Meadow has taken the place of my parents in the kitchen. She sees me and smiles at me.

I hug her tight. This is her last year eligible, and she will not be volunteering. My sisters were not a natural in the academy. Unfortunately, I was.

"I'm sorry." She tells me. I nod, not saying a word.

"Shall we?" I ask, holding the door open for her. We walk together to the square and sign in together. I find Jewel in the crowd and hold her hand tight.

The escort starts her yearly ramble and we get a female volunteer. I recognize her from training. She's not one to be messed with.

They reap a boy, a fifteen year old I've seen around the academy. He looks confused. I sigh before I start my walk.

"I volunteer." I say with as much energy as I can muster. I hold my head up high, hoping no one notices the shaking that has started in my body. I look at Glamour in the eyes and see a combination of a flirty, friendly girl and a bloodthirsty killer. I shudder.

We shake hands and are taken away to say goodbye. Jewel enters first and gives me a ring.

"Promise. Promise you'll return home. Promise we'll be together forever." I put the ring on and kiss her.

"I promise."

* * *

The first reaping! Only eleven more to go, haha

Let me know what you think of these two!


	4. District Two Reapings

Lana Mason, 18

I stab the dummy in the heart with a sword. I picture the dummy as President Pitheart and I smile a devious smile.

I turn and slash two more dummies, imaging them as other powerful Capitol figures. Adrian Goldsmith, Calix Agnes, the list goes on. I do not stop until every dummy in the room is incapacitated.

Like many in Two, I have been training since I was a child to compete. Like many, I am ruthless, vicious, a killer. Unlike many, I do not see the Hunger Games to be a competition of honor. Unlike many, I do not worship the Capitol and their stupid laws.

I put my sword away, take a quick shower, and leave the training center. It's a beautiful day today, you could almost forget the horrors of the world.

I enter my house and go straight to my basement room. I see my easel is exactly where I left it. I admire my most recent painting, a beautiful natural scene, inspired by last year's arena. A beautiful scene, yet it became the graveyard of 23 others.

I walk to my closet and change from my training clothes to a floral dress. I brush my black hair out and put it up in a bun. I take a deep breath and go back upstairs.

I see my three siblings and my mother eating lunch at the table. I join them and we engage in a simple conversation. There's little fear on reaping day living in this district. I don't know how other district's children make it through this day.

Senna, Conner, Adrian and I all walk together to the reapings. We all sign in together and make our way to the appropriate sections, Conner in the back, Senna and Adrian somewhere in the middle, and me in the front. If I had a knife, I could hit each and every one of those sitting on the stage.

Our newest escort struts onto stage. It's his first year and he was given one of the best districts, it's safe to say he's extremely pleased.

"Thank you all for joining us today!" Like we had a choice. I tune out the speech, the video, and only pay attention when he draws a name from the bowl.

"Our female tribute is, Lana Mason!" I tilt my head with confusion and step onto stage.

I hear a volunteer from the crowd. I've seen her in training, and I know I'm better.

When she starts to walk up the stairs I put my hand on her chest. When she tries to push past me, I shove her to the ground.

"I will be the female tribute for District Two." I say into the mic. The volunteer backs up, scared.

At least my training has not been for nothing.

* * *

Chaze Unger, 18

My eyes flutter open and I feel Brettany move next to me. I roll and wrap my arms around her, kissing her back. She turns to look at me.

"Good morning." Her smile makes me smile. I have the most beautiful fiancee in the district.

She sits on the side of the bed and looks out the window to the other houses in Victor's Village. I stand up and hug her.

"When I return, we'll have our very own house. How does that sound?" I smirk and she nods.

"Please return. I need you to."

"You know I will." I say. She pulls away from me and shuts the bathroom door. I'm tempted to follow her, but I give her space. We had planned our wedding to be today, but my father did not want me distracted for the reapings. I think she's also worried I will follow my brothers footsteps. While he competed ten years ago, she still worries I will have the same fate as him.

I hear the shower turn on and I go to my dresser to find reaping clothes. I put on a red dress shirt with some black cargo shorts. My blonde hair compliments my face. I will not struggle with sponsors.

The shower stops and Brettany enters our bedroom wrapped in a towel. She finds a short white dress and I help her change. She looks stunning, and I tell her so.

We walk downstairs to join my father and brother in the kitchen. Little Cazzon perks up when he sees me. I give him a tight hug.

"Will you train me when you return? Please?" He asks me, eyes wide. I smile and nod.

"You'll be my protégée." His face lights up and I pat his back.

We sit down to eat lunch. Despite his losses, my father stays tough. Him and I run through what I need to remember and I pass with ease.

"Do not underestimate your opponents. Do not end up like Caze." Caze, my older brother. He got second place to the girl from Four. I'll never forget that year, how mad I was. How much of a disgrace he was to our family, our reputation. He tore our family apart, my mother couldn't handle the grief. Now we're left to deal with the consequences.

"I won't. You have my word." And I mean it.

I help him clean up and the four of us walk to the square together. My family departs to stand on the outside as Brettany and I sign in. The crowd's energy is high, everyone is excited for reaping day in Two.

I kiss Brettany goodbye as the escort calls our female tribute, a girl named Lana Mason. She refuses a volunteer. I've seen her in training, she is pretty good. But of course, I am better.

I don't hesitate. I jump straight onto that stage with my winning smile.

"Chaze Unger, and I volunteer." The escort claps.

"Marvelous! Please give a round of applause for your District Two tributes, Lana Mason and Chaze Unger!" We shake hands and let the Peacekeepers guide us to say goodbye.

Brettany is the first to visit. Her head is low and her face is sad. I hug her tight and she holds out her hands. Inside them is a gold chain.

"Your token, for the arena." I smile and let her put it over my head.

"Promise you'll come back to me?" She asks.

"Of course I will." I smile at her. She weakly smiles back before exiting the room.

* * *

Here's another chapter! Let me know what you think of these two!


	5. District Three Reapings

Tazzel Rosehart, 15

My eyes slowly flutter open. The light peeks through my blinds. I sit up and stretch and see little Chester asleep in his crate. I smile, grab a carrot from my nightstand, and stick it through the bars. Chester's cute little mouth takes the carrot and he starts noshing on it. It's adorable.

I stand up and turn to see my brother Thorn in the doorway.

"I'm sorry, I knocked but you didn't answer." I smile. Of course I didn't answer, I never heard it.

"That's okay, I'll let it slide this one time." My wink and smirk tells him I'm not serious.

He takes Chester out of the cage and pets him. I kiss them both on the head before going into my bathroom to clean up.

My brown eyes stare back at my pale body and hair. I turn and look at the scars on the side of my face. I bring my finger to my ear and snap. I feel the vibration, but hear very little. I sigh. What I'd give to have my hearing back.

I take a quick shower and blow dry my hair. I let it float onto my shoulders.

I put on my pajamas and go back out into my room. Thorn has left and put Chester back all safe and sound into his crate. He's a good kid.

I slip on some baggy jeans and a simple white shirt. I don't expect to get reaped, but if I do it's not like I had nice clothes anyway. But I'm perfectly fine with this.

Before I leave, I put on my favorite necklace. It sparkles off the light, a simple letter "T".

I find my two brothers cleaning the kitchen. I grab an apple and snack as they finish cleaning. They talk to each other, but they're turned away from me so I cannot distinguish what they are saying.

My father places his hand on my shoulder and I turn to look at him. I smile at him and he smiles a sad smile back at me. He never forgave himself for the accident, despite it being the other driver's fault. He wishes he never took me along, made me stay home. I hope one day he forgives himself, as I never blamed him.

I ask him where mother is and he points downstairs. I nod. She's been working on some implants to improve my hearing. I feel bad she spends all her free time doing so, but I cannot stop her.

I finish my apple and my father takes my hand to the square. Him and my oldest brother, Torrac, hug Thorn and me tight before they join the rest of the ineligible citizens of our district.

I sign in with Thorn, and we separate into our respective age categories. I look at all the nervous fifteen year olds that surround me. I think about the two people who will not return home tonight. The two families that will dread the upcoming weeks. I swallow back a sob.

I don't notice the video playing until it's over. The escort hops onto stage, and I can barely make out what she says. I watch her walk to the clear bowl with hundreds of names in them. She pulls out a single slip and I say a quick prayer.

She says the name in the microphone and I don't hear the name. Who was it? I look around and I don't see movement from any other girls. I start to panic. Someone nudges me forward and I can't accept it. It wasn't me. It was a mistake. It wasn't me.

The second person to nudge me forces me into the walkway. I look around. Please, don't be me. It was someone else. Someone else was called.

My body walks while my mind screams "No!". I stand on stage and stare at the escort in the eyes. I think she says something to me, but I do not reply. I cannot move.

I'm close enough to hear her announce the boy tribute. A boy I don't recognize. Thorn is safe another year. It helps me calm.

The reaped boy appears to be holding back tears. He seems to be staring at a girl in the audience. I think nothing of it. My mind is focused on my siblings, my parents, my little bunny. All things I have to abandon.

The tears start as they take me away.

* * *

Flux Lambert, 15

My stomach growling wakes me. I hear a coughing from the bed across the room from me. I move and accidentally elbow my brother, Copper. He usually shares a bed with Bolt, but nobody wants to catch whatever infection he has contracted.

I get out of bed and hold my stomach. I feel a stronger pain in my stomach than usual. I sigh.

I shuffle to the kitchen and see the hollow face of my sister, Giga. She drinks a glass of water and breaks pieces off stale bread.

"Want some?" She asks me. I nod, ripping off a piece for myself. It tastes awful, but I have a feeling it's all I'll be eating today.

I feel a pang in my chest. I have to close my eyes and take a deep breath. Hunger, reapings, Bolt, Lexa, it's overwhelming. I step outside to get some fresh air, hoping it calms me.

I open my eyes and stare at the tree in front of my house. I can vividly picture the day I lost her, the day I insulted her, right there under the tree. I have yet to see her since.

God, why am I such an idiot? Why can't I be like everyone else? Smart, kind, maybe even well fed.

I go back inside and enter our shared room. The two younger ones are up and getting ready, so I decide to do the same. I throw on black dress pants that used to belong to Bolt and a white dress shirt. Nothing fancy, nothing expensive.

I push past my parents, going outside to just walk. I take the longest way possible to the square, giving me a lot of time to think.

I hear a shout from the distance and see two of my friends, Flash and Wyatt. I manage a confident smile and let them come to me.

"Hey! How have you been?" Flash asks me kindly.

"Oh you know, the usual, here and there." I say vaguely.

"So, when are you going to tell us what happened with Lexa? She seems pissed." Wyatt says. I roll my eyes.

"She's a whore, just like I told her. I guess she can't handle the truth." A comment like this used to be so common with me I wouldn't feel a thing. Now, there's a tug on my heart, something I can't describe. Flash and Wyatt exchange a look before the bell rings. I push past them and walk to the square.

I sign in without my friends and see the familiar face of Lexa. She turns away from me immediately, a scold on her face. My heart sinks. I miss her, I truly miss her.

I fidget as the annual reapings begin. My anxiety is increasing as the escort reads her speech and draws the name of the female tribute. She reaps a girl I don't recognize, which helps calm me slightly.

I close my eyes and take a deep breath as she reaps the male.

"Flux Lambert!" My heart drops out of my chest. I sigh. In this moment, I come to the realization I deserve this.

I step onto stage and my eyes find Lexa. She gives me a cold stare, almost like she is happy this happened.

I don't blame her. I am a terrible person.

* * *

Let me know what you guys think of these two!


	6. District Four Reapings

Callista Beaufort, 16

I push against the water, letting my arms guide me to the other side. The sun warms my body. I feel like I'm flying.

I turn my head to take a breath and see Asher catching up to me. I can't let him win.

I direct all of my strength into my strokes and make it to the other side of the lake a second before he does. I expose my head to the air and take a deep breath.

"I beat you." I wink at him and laugh. He pretends to be hurt before splashing me in the face. We get out of the lake and wrap our towels around ourselves.

A day like this is perfect for the people of Four. Warm waters, sunny sky, a quiet town. A perfect day for the reapings.

Asher and I walk back together to Victor's Village. A year ago, I'd be fawning over his every move. But I've moved past that phase. Training is more important, anyway.

"A re you nervous?" We stop at the entrance of the village. I shake my head no.

"Not really. This is what I've been training for." And I let myself truly believe it.

I wave goodbye as he enters the second house on the right. I make my way to the middle of the village and see little Theia playing outside our house. She runs over to me and we hug tightly.

I kiss her on the head and we walk into our house together. The first thing you see when you enter is a large portrait of my parents, back to back victors. They are the biggest advocate for the Games in the district.

"Good morning." I hear my mother say from the family room. Theia runs over to her and I give a friendly hello before going into my bathroom and showering. I enjoy my final moments in my own bathroom, before everybody knows my name. When I return, I will have my own home in this village.

I dry myself off quickly and change into a simple white dress with leather sandals. I put on our family heirloom, a pearl necklace. My grandmother found this pearl in the arena she fought in, and it has been in my family ever since. My mother wore it in her arena, and I will wear it in mine.

I brush out my dark brown hair and appreciate the tan that is forming. It will help gain sponsors.

I grab a quick snack in the kitchen before exiting my house with Theia. I see Asher waiting by his front door. He's so cute.

"You ready?" He asks. I nod, with a large smirk on my face.

We have a light chat on the way to the reapings. I think Asher is worried about me. I worry slightly, any smart tribute would, but I know I have a good foundation. As long as I stay focused, I'll do just fine.

We all sign in together and stand together as the reapings start. I told Theia's hand tight. She is definitely not fit for the Games.

Our lovely escort, Brandi, gets on stage and flaunts about how excited she is for this year. She shows the annual video, featuring many victors from our district. Many sit on stage to this day.

She walks over to the girl's reaping bowl. I hold my breath, waiting for the proper moment.

"Our female tribute is….Theia Beaufort!" I feel my sister tense next to me. She looks up at me, water in her eyes. I kiss her on the forehead and walk up to the stage.

"I volunteer, my name is Callista Beaufort." I say as I get on the stage.

"Welcome, Callista! Let's meet our male tribute!" Brandi reaps an extremely skinny twelve year old boy. He gets on the stage and looks absolutely petrified. It takes a while for a male to volunteer, yet he does and the young boy cries of relief. He jumps off the stage and runs back to his family.

The volunteer and I shake hands before being taken away.

* * *

Neptune Kingsman, 18

I sit on the edge of the lake near my house, watching Finn and Cove splash each other in the water. I smile. They're so pure, it makes me happy.

I close my eyes and let the sun warm my body. I try to forget about the reapings today, they only bring horror. I feel like the only one in the district who doesn't see the Games as a competition of honor. All it brings is sadness, despair, unnecessary deaths. I shudder when I think about last year's Games and open my eyes.

I feel Cove tug on my leg. "Come swim!" I smile. How can I say no?

I get in the water and lift him up. Together, we go out deep. I support him so he doesn't dip under the water. While Finn is a good swimmer, Cove needs a bit more practice.

"Neptune!" I hear the familiar shout of my best friend, Aqua. The three of us get out of the lake and I walk over to her.

"Hey." I say, smiling. She smiles back.

"I knew I'd find you here." I laugh.

"Am I that predictable?" She nods. I give her a friendly punch on her arm and she rolls her eyes.

"You know you can't go to the reapings like that." She eyes me up.

"I don't know, I think this is the new trend." I put my hands on my hips and pose and she rolls her eyes.

"Come on, you don't want to be late." I nod. I take my brothers by the hand and the four of us walk back to our neighborhood. While it's no Victor's Village, we certainly don't struggle. Besides, as long as I have my family, I am happy.

Aqua dips off to go into her own home and the three of us enter our home. The twins run off into their room and I go upstairs to my bedroom. I undress and turn the shower on. I let it get to a warm temperature before entering. I wash the salt out of my light blonde hair and off of my tanned skin. It feels good to relax, get a moment of silence. The next few hours will be filled with anything but it.

I get out and dry off quickly. I put on a grey cotton shirt with a white cardigan over. I slip on black pants and comb my hair over. I sigh. My last reapings.

I gather my brothers and take them into the kitchen for a quick meal. I make them grilled cheese, and we eat together. My parents stroll downstairs and kiss me on the head.

I take the boys in each hand and walk down the street. As we get into town, something catches my eye. A small boy sits leaned against a building. Tears are in his eyes and he is wearing dirty, ragged clothes.

"You boys go ahead, okay?" I tell them. They nod and run off towards the square. I walk to the boy and squat.

"Are you okay?" I ask. He looks at me and shakes his head no.

"My mommy….she's gone." My heart drops. This poor child.

I hug him tight and give him some coins I had in my jacket. It's not much, but it makes his eyes light up.

"What's your name?" I ask.

"Kale." He says quietly.

"You'll be okay, Kale. Just stay strong." I help him stand up and he thanks me, before walking off into the distance.

I get to the square and sign in. I find Aqua in the crowd and smile at her.

"You're late." She winks and I roll my eyes playfully.

"Shh, it's about to start." She chuckles and we turn our head to the stage. I look at the faces of those who sit on stage. Many look tough, proud to be a victor. But there's a few that don't, a few that hate this more and more each year.

I don't realize how lost in thought I am until I see a girl stand up on stage. Callista…I've seen her in training. She's top of the class.

The escort reads the boy's name, "Kale Marsh" and I get confused. Kale?

Then it hits me like a bag of bricks. The scared little boy I helped earlier stands on that stage. Oh, oh no.

I take a deep breath. I put on a smile and shout that I volunteer. The boy starts crying and thanking me, but I pretend this was the plan all along. I keep my head high. My past training will not go to waste.

* * *

Let me know what you think of these two!

A lot of people have been asking, but no, there will not be a sponsor system this time. But reviewing is the best way to keep your tribute alive!


	7. District Five Reapings

Layla Stratton, 17

I turn the page in my book. The weather outside is perfect for a day like this. Sitting outside, away from my family, no cares. Well, until the reapings, that is. Then you have to sit through a drawn out, stressful event and pray you nor anyone you care about is sentenced to death. Most can't handle it. Me, I just try to keep my head held high.

Footsteps make me look up. I smile when I see Holden walking towards me. It's amazing how much has changed in the few years I've known him. He's grown taller and more muscular.

"Hey kid." I say. He takes a seat next to me.

"Oh please, I'm bigger than you, if anything you're the kid." I punch him in the arm and he winces.

"Never forget I can still kick your ass." He laughs and I smile. It's nice being around him. We truly understand each other.

He stands up and holds his hand out. I don't hesitate to take it and we stand up. The meadow is beautiful in the quiet, as beautiful as the day we met. Oh how much has changed since then.

We walk slowly back to the district. Every step makes my stomach turn. I wish I could stay out here forever, my family certainly wouldn't mind.

I look at Holden. His blonde hair shines in the sun. A few years ago, I would cringe if you told me I'd fall for a boy. But…here we are. If only he knew.

We make it back to the street and I see my sister walking with her boyfriend. I roll my eyes and walk past her without any acknowledgement. She cares more about him than me, anyway.

"I'll see you at the reapings?" Holden says. I nod and hug him goodbye. His arms make me feel warm and accepted. I like it.

I dip into my room before running into my family. They wish I was more like my sister Lucille, less like myself. Screw them, I didn't get to choose my family, they certainly didn't get to choose their children. Plus, I help the family name. A perk of your best friend being the mayor's child.

I gently set my book on my bed before walking to my closet. I pull out the first dress I see, which happens to be a light blue one. It'll do.

I slip it on and brush out my blonde hair. My blue eyes stare back at a small, fierce seventeen year old girl.

I sneak out of my house before my family sees me and book it to the square. I see Holden waiting for me by where we sign in. What a gentleman.

We sign in together and make light chat as we stand in the crowd. I hear whispers of children wondering who will be picked, hoping it won't be them. That I can relate to.

Our escort hops onto the stage. She's a little bitter that both tributes from our district perished so quickly last year. She's despicable.

She introduces herself and I roll my eyes, wishing I was back in the meadow.

The video quickly ends and she walks over to the bowl. She wastes no time picking a single name. My heart races quicker than ever.

"Our female tribute is…Layla Stratton!" I let out a little gasp. I look at Holden, he looks as shocked as I am. But I do not succumb to fear. Instead, I hold my head high.

I stand on stage and look out at the crowd before me. Every female looks relieved, they are safe another year.

I take a deep breath and keep all of my emotions in line. I will not give up, no matter the challenges I will face. I can do this.

* * *

Holden Hayes, 17

I walk through the district, headed to the mountain I know Layla will be.

I remember the day we met very vividly. Calix was beating me up, like he usually does. I was left laying on the outskirts of the field when I saw her picking flowers. I never knew a girl could be so beautiful.

She came over to help me up and we spent the rest of the day talking. It was hours and hours of us simply getting to know each other. And we did this any time we were free. Neither of us wanted to be near our families, so we just spent the time together. It was nice. It was freeing.

I see her at the top of the hill with a book in her hands. I smile. She's certainly kept her beauty over the years.

 _God, don't think like that. You'll ruin your friendship with her._

As I get closer to her she looks up at me. Her smile makes me smile.

We chat for a bit, trying to avoid the horrors that lie before us. Two children will be taken from the district to fight to the death. I shudder at the thought of Layla being reaped. She doesn't deserve that.

We stand up to leave the meadow. As much as we'd both prefer to stay out here, the Capitol does not allow it.

I hug Layla goodbye and walk back to my own house. Many are envious of me, being the mayor's child and all. But it's not as great of a life as everyone makes it out to be. We always have food, which I'm very grateful for, but my father and brother have never forgiven me for taking our mother away from them.

I pray I don't run into my brother as I open the door. I quietly walk down the hall to my bedroom and shut and lock the door.

I change into a black shirt with some khaki pants. I brush my brown hair back and take a deep breath. My grey eyes show slight fear. You're going to be okay. You and Layla will be okay.

I hear a knock at my door and hold my breath.

"Open up!" It's my brother. I stay silent for a bit, but once I realize there's no escape, I open the door.

"What's up?" I say, keeping the door cracked. He looks pissed.

"Father wants us in the kitchen. Now." He turns and walks to the front of the house. I follow behind.

I haven't seen my father in a couple of days. After my mother died he buried himself in his work, even more so than before. He looks tired, worn out.

"Let's eat." He serves us spaghetti and we eat slowly, without conversation. I quickly finish and excuse myself, leaving the house before they can stop me.

I arrive at the reapings early, so I stand by a building and wait for Layla. I see dozens of children and teens walk by me, their faces filled with fear. Not a single one makes eye contact with me.

I finally see her in the crowd. She looks great, I don't know how she does it.

We sign in together and stand in the crowd together. Every one is on edge, nobody wants to be the one standing on that stage by the end of the event, taken away to whatever horrors the Games bring. I shudder when I think about it.

The reapings start and I see my father on stage, welcoming us. I tune it out.

Our escort draws a single name from the girl's bowl and I feel Layla tense up.

"Our female tribute is….Layla Stratton!" I hear her gasp and I freeze with fear. I turn to look at her and she does the same with me. But she shows no fear, unlike me. I am frozen with fear. She walks onto that stage and I cannot stop worrying. Why her?

I don't even realize they call my name until someone gently taps my shoulder. I walk onto the stage and her eye's are wide, more shocked than she was when she was reaped. When the escort asks us to shake hands, I do not hesitate opening my arms up to her. We hug tightly, I never want to let go.

Why? Why us? Why do bad things happen to good people?

* * *

Let me know what you think of these two!

All Capitol events will only feature 1 or 2 districts to get through them quickly, so please let me know which section you'd prefer to have your tribute featured in! I'll be writing Train Rides, Chariot Rides, Training Days 1, 2, 3, Private Sessions and Interviews!


	8. District Six Reapings

Demica Langley, 16

A slight shake wakes me. I open my eyes and see the friendly face of my grandmother standing beside my bed. I smile and give her a hug.

"Good morning, sunshine." She says weakly. As tough as she is, she cannot hide her sickness. I wish I could do more for her.

"Good morning." I say perkily. I hop out of bed and walk with my grandmother to her room. In bed, is my grandfather. He has not been well either, but his affliction is much worse than my grandmothers. I give him a hug, being careful not to hurt him.

"You're a sweet girl, Demica." I smile.

"I learned from you." He chuckles, but it's true. I have been with them since the age of ten, ever since my parents were brutally murdered for simply trying to be good people. I still get chocked up thinking about it.

"You should get ready, sweetheart. You can't miss the reapings." I nod and kiss him on the forehead before heading back into my room.

I take a comb and run it through my dirty blonde hair. My brown eyes look back at a girl, short for her age, yet decently built. Our grandparents ensure we do not starve excessively.

I splash some water on my face, thinking about the reapings. The two tributes last year were way too young, way too kind for what happened to them. They were taken away too young, too pure. It hurt to watch.

I quickly find a long orange button up dress to slip on to push my fear out of my mind. I put on the matching shoes and take a deep breath. _Everything will be okay, Demica. I promise._

The bell rings and I exit my bedroom. I see my two older sisters helping each other get ready. Fortunately, they are safe from the reapings for the rest of their lives.

I walk by myself to the square to give me some time to think. This time yesterday I was handling baggage for Capitol citizens, and this time tomorrow I will be back at it. As awful as the reapings are, they give us a day off some of us so desperately need.

I think about all the entries I have in the bowl, a total of thirty. I take out tesserae not for myself, but for my grandparents. It's the least I can do to thank them for taking us in after our parent's death. Every cent I make working goes to them as well. We all work hard to support each other, I'm very grateful for all they do.

I stand in the crowd and twiddle my fingers. I bite the inside of my mouth to calm me. I take a deep breath as the mayor starts her speech and the escort introduces herself.

She walks over to the girls reaping bowl and I watch her hand closely. Who is going to be chosen?

"Emmy Graves!" A girl who barely looks ten walks onto the stage. She's shaking and I can see the tears start to form. I think about the girl reaped last year, who died right away in the bloodbath. I don't think I could watch that happen again.

Before I know what I'm doing, I walk up to stage, saying that I volunteer as tribute. Emmy's eyes widen and she jumps off the stage quickly. I stand on stage and take a deep breath.

I can do this. I can win for my family. I can repay my grandparents. We won't have to work anymore.

I can do this.

* * *

Rally "Rail" Toyota, 15

The brush moves rhythmically in my hand. Back and forth, I move it to create something beautiful.

The window serves as my main inspiration. The beauty of nature. The sorrow of citizens. The struggles of children. It's all there, right before my eyes, waiting to be depicted.

I take a deep breath and step back from my creation. It certainly needs polishing, but it looks incredible. I smile, proud of my work.

I set my supplies down, stretching my body out. Before I leave the room, I take the smallest paint brush and hold it tight. It will safeguard me at the reapings.

I change into something basic, clothes that used to belong to my older brother. They are long as I have not hit my growth spurt yet, but they will suffice.

I make sure to put my paintbrush in my pocket. I take a deep breath. Everything will be okay.

I join my family for a short meal before the reapings. It's quieter than usual at the table, there's usually always something to talk about. Whether it be work or school or something silly we saw, we can fill the silence. But not today, not when the stakes are high. It's Chase's last year eligible, yet I still worry. Anything can happen out there.

"You should roll up your pants." My mother tells me. She bends down to help me roll them up and my brother chuckles.

"Shorty." He says jokingly. I stick my tongue out at him and he punches my arm.

"Hey, cut it out." My father says. We all laugh, the nerves have really gotten to all of us.

I help my parents clean the kitchen before we all walk together to the square. On any other day, my brother would smack my hand if I tried to hold his. But not today. Today, we grip each other tightly, hoping we can return home together.

We eventually separate to sign in and I immediately find my group of friends. As an introvert, I may not have the biggest friend group in the district, but none of us mind.

I spot Casey first and smile. You would never know he was the son of a victor, he is friendly to everyone he meets and never flaunts his status. He's also a genius.

"How have you been?" He asks me, as genuine as it gets. I smile back.

"I've been fine, painting, living, the usual." I smile at Aaron and Cara and Cara smiles back. Aaron keeps his fierce look on his face, trying to discourage me from showing any interest in Cara. The thought makes me laugh.

"Are you nervous?" I ask everyone, trying to come up with some conversation. There's a consensus of "of course" as the reapings begin. You can feel the nerves seizing the audience.

I pray for Cara's safety as the girl's name is read. A small twelve year old girl is reaped, but is eventually replaced by a volunteer. We don't see too many of those around here.

The escort moves over to the male bowl and I pray for safety. For my brother. For my friends. For myself.

"Our male tribute is…Rally Toyota!" I feel like somebody punched me in the stomach. Emotions run through my body. I see the fear in Casey's eyes. He hugs me tight before I slowly ascend onto stage. I hope for a volunteer, but none come forward. Typical.

I keep my feelings buried away. I grab my brush tightly. Why me?

* * *

Let me know what you think of these two!

If you haven't already, please let me know which capitol event you would like your tribute(s) to have a featured section in. I'll be writing the train rides, chariot rides, training days 1, 2, 3, the private sessions, and the interviews!


	9. District Seven Reapings

Ivory Hart, 16

When I dream about Cedar, I'm usually just a viewer, just watching him get shot by the Career, screaming at him to run. But not this time. This time, I'm running beside him. We're running, but not fast enough. The arrow pierces us both and we fall to the ground.

I wake up screaming, it takes me a second to register I'm safe, secure. That's when the tears come. I hear a knock on my door, most likely Roselyn.

"Go away." I say, not intending to be rude to her yet I still come off as such. She tries a bit longer to comfort me, but I don't allow it. I lay down and cover my head with the blanket.

Ever since Cedar died in last years Games, nothing has been the same. The carefree girl I used to be has been ripped out of me, leaving me empty. I spend all of my time training deep in the woods. I practice with my axe on trees, the air, even a few animals. I wonder if this is how Careers feel.

After many minutes of laying in bed, I stretch out my limbs. My blonde hair has knotted itself in a ball during my nightmare. Whatever.

I fill up the tub and undress, submerging myself into the lukewarm water. I put my head under, imagining myself swimming in the nearby lake. I let my lungs start begging for air before I resurface.

I dry off and after much fight, manage to untangle my hair. I put on a simple blue dress with white shoes, nothing too fancy. My green eyes stare back at a stranger. It's crazy how much changes in a year.

More knocking on my door makes me roll my eyes. I wish they'd leave me alone.

I open the door however, and see the face of my twin, Roselyn. Her face shows sadness, I know she wishes we could go back to how it used to be.

"Hi." I say with no emotion. Her eyes appear glossy. Has she been crying?

"Dad wants us to eat together." I nod. I give her a hug, hoping it will apologize for my actions this morning.

The three of us sit in the kitchen, enjoying the basic meal my father has put together for us. My dad's sad eyes look at me, yet we stay relatively silent throughout the meal. I help tidy up afterwords.

"Thank you." I tell my father. He smiles a bit.

"You're welcome, sweetheart." My mother's death hurt him, but my actions have broken him. He deserves a better daughter.

I excuse myself and walk to the reapings alone. I listen to the chirping of birds and shuffling of feet that surround me. The scared faces of young children hurt my soul.

I sign in and stand alone in my section. I keep my arms crossed, praying for it to be over. It was easier with Cedar by my side, he made everything better.

We have the same escort as last year, same level of excitement. At least someone enjoys this.

"Let's start with the ladies!" He picks a single slip of paper. "Amber Paul!" It takes a long time for a small, thirteen year old girl to stumble on stage. I recognize her from school, while she's much younger than me, she's the deaf one. The one that struggles in classes. The one with seven other siblings, who's parents passed away in the same week.

I shut my eyes. When I open them, my decision has been made.

"I volunteer." I say, walking up to the stage. Amber trips while walking off stage, but I saw the relief in her face. I've been training. I have a good chance.

Maybe I'll get the chance to take out some Careers. The thought makes me smile.

* * *

Seth O'Donnell, 16

I search the meadow near my house, looking for the perfect bud. Blue is my mother's favorite color, so I stick to that. I eventually come across a patch of beautiful blue hydrangeas and know these will be perfect. I pick the biggest ones before turning to head back to my house.

I slowly open and close the door, hoping I wake nobody. I tip toe to her bedroom and knock on the door. I enter and see her sitting on the edge of her bed, looking at a picture of her late husband. Guilt sweeps over me and I contemplate turning around, escaping the feeling. But when she turns to look at me I know that's not an option.

"I brought you something." I say with a smile. She smiles back and I walk the bouquet over to her.

"Thank you, Seth." She sets them in the vase by her bed and gives me a hug. Despite her new mood swings, she always tries to be the best for her children. It's the best way to recover from a major loss.

She knows it was an accident, simple self defense, but it was a hard day for us all. He had too much to drink, he was angry at my sister for running away, he was taking it out on me. One day, I couldn't take it anymore. I snapped, and hit back. I never realized how strong I was, until I watched him fall. I watched him smash his head on the side of the table that sits in a nearby landfill. Life has never been the same.

I exit my mother's room and enter the room my five siblings and I share. Most are still asleep, but I see little Belle moving around in her crib. I go over and kiss her on the head. She holds a small teddy bear tight in her little arms. Her smile makes me smile back at her.

I find a nice pair of jeans and a grey shirt in my pile of clothes that I decide will work for the Games. I go into our bathroom and quickly change. I brush back my brown hair and wash my face off.

I hear more commotion in the bedroom and exit the bathroom. Greg and Juniper are messing around on their bed.

"Be careful, guys, we don't want any injuries." Thankfully, they were too young to remember the accident, but I refuse to let anything similar happen. Juniper stops, but Greg keeps teasing her. I separate them, taking her and her twin to the kitchen. I serve them a small breakfast as Carlisle joins us. I notice the pencil markings all over his hands.

"Drawing?" I ask. He smiles and nods at me. He's artistic and one of the bravest boys I've ever met. I serve him food as well, while I begin snacking on an apple.

I think about the reapings I have to face today. It's Katherine's last year eligible, and Greg's first. Even though I haven't seen Katherine since she ran away, I still worry about her.

I am less worried for Greg, with only one name in the bowl. I refuse to let him take any tesserae, I put all of that responsibility on myself. I can't even think about how many times my name is in that bowl. Too many.

I help my siblings get ready as the bell starts ringing. My mother comes out of her bedroom and gathers the younger ones. I take Greg's hand and we all walk to the square as one large family.

I give my mother a kiss before I take Greg to sign in. He's very brave during the process.

He stands in the back and I make my way near the front. I take a deep breath. It's okay, it'll be okay.

I pray for Katherine's safety as the girl tribute is reaped. A name I don't recognize is pulled, yet a girl named Ivory volunteers.

My heart races faster as the escort pulls a name out of the second bowl. He reads it.

"Seth O'Donnell!" I freeze, shocked at what I hear. I slowly walk up to the stage, overwhelmed. As I stand on the stage, I overlook the district in front of me. Emotion, exhaustion, and stress take over and I feel my legs give out. Before I know it, I've collapsed on the stage.

* * *

Let me know what you think of these two!


	10. District Eight Reapings

Lavender Byzantine, 14

Velvet and I sit side by side on the stairs that lead to her house. The wind flows through my blonde hair, revealing my pale face to the warm sun. I enjoy the moments of silence, knowing how rare they can be. The district is usually filled with commotion, children going to school, adults going to work, Peacekeepers ensuring we stay in line. Today's a special day, the commotion is gone and two children will be forced to leave home to compete in the Hunger Games, where it's guaranteed one of them will not return home.

"What are you thinking about?" Velvet asks me. I turn to look at her and shrug.

"Oh, not much. Just a little worried for tonight." I say sincerely. She nods, understanding. The fear of the Games only gets worse as you get older.

"Shall we?" She asks me. I smile and nod, standing up first. I hold my hands out to help her up. I brush off my jeans and hear some laughing behind me. I turn to look and see a group of girls pointing and laughing at us. I start to walk towards them, but Velvet stops me.

"Don't, it's not worth it." I raise my eyebrow to her and almost oblige. That is, until I hear one of their smart remarks.

"She's the one with the slutty father." It's that word that makes me walk straight up to her and smack her in the face.

"Don't you dare talk about my family. Ever." I can see how shocked she is by her eyes. I turn to rejoin my friend.

"You shouldn't have done that." She says. I shrug.

"You know I can't let something like that go." And she does. I know my father's reputation, I know it's not right. But nobody will talk about my family like that.

"I'll meet you at the square?" I say. She nods and goes into her house. I turn to walk towards my own, trying not to think about those girls from earlier.

I make it back to my house and see little Silk playing in the front yard. Out of all my half siblings, he is the only one to live with us. His mother's husband doesn't know he exists.

I give him a kiss on the forehead before entering the house. I go into my room, the first room on the left, and close the door behind me. I look at the picture of my mother on my nightstand and sigh. I wish she was still with us.

I spend some time finding a decent outfit and decide to go with a faded purple dress with black flats. I brush my hair out, wishing I didn't have to participate in the reapings. Wishing I was safe from it all.

I exit my house and walk to the reapings. As I sign in, I try to avoid looking at the faces of those around me.

I stand in the middle of the crowd and see last year's victor on stage, Lilac Suede. Her eyes always appear sad, rightfully so. Winning isn't an escape, some say death is more pleasant. It's certainly quicker.

The mayor begins the ceremony and the escort concludes it. She moves to the girls bowl, picks the top slip, and returns to the mic. You could hear a pin drop in the audience.

"Our female tribute, Lavender Byzantine!" I let out a quiet cry, but I compose myself when eyes start turning to me. The fear takes me over. Please, just be a dream. Please don't make me compete. Please.

Unfortunately, I never wake up from a dream. This is real. I am a tribute.

* * *

Carter Swenson, 16

I let the sewing machine move rhythmically with the guidance of my hands. I must finish this outfit before the reapings, it must be perfect.

The final stitch is made and I turn the machine off. I take the pants off of the machine and pull the fabric through the holes, so the right side is showing. I smile. Perfect.

The door opens behind me, making me turn to see who it could possibly be. I roll my eyes when I see the familiar face of Claire.

"Girl, you're going to give me a heart attack one of these days." She laughs at my statement and flicks her hair over her shoulder.

"It would be my pleasure." She says with an attitude. I stick my tongue out at her and gather the matching top off the pile of clothes on the side.

"Be careful, I hear if you spend too much time making clothes you become a pair." She comments. I scoff.

"Has Nicola been getting in your head again? I told you she was a bad influence." She hits my arm and I laugh.

"You're an ass." Her smile tells me she's not serious. I wrap my arms around her and she pretends to be disgusted, but eventually hugs me back.

"Calling me disgusting, have you _seen_ what you have on right now?" I put my hands on my hips. "Doesn't match, girl." She looks down at her brightly colored shorts and black tank top.

"I'm still waiting for you to make me that dress. When you give me that, maybe I'll put a little more effort in what a wear." In the distance I see our other two close friends, Jackson and Nicola.

"I'm good, Claire, but I'm not that good. You'll get it soon." I wink and walk over to the newcomers.

"What are you guys yelling about this time?" Nicola winks and I roll my eyes. She's extremely naive if she believes Claire is the one I'm interested in.

"Claire doesn't appreciate my how hard I work. She's such a tyrant." This comment receives only my second punch of the day. She's slacking today. Must be the fear of the reapings.

"Alright, everyone get off my property. I must become fabulous." I snap my fingers and I hear an audible eye from Claire. Jackson chuckles, his beautiful blue eyes moving to look at Nicola. Oh, what I'd give for him to look at me that way.

"See you at the reapings!" Nicola says as the two of them head back the way they came. Claire follows.

"Don't be late." She winks at me and I smile.

I exit my backyard and enter my main house. Despite the fact this has been my home for the past ten years, I will never forget the cold nights I spent on the orphanage floor. How lost I was, convinced I would never have a family to love me. Ever since Anaya Swenson saved me from that horrid life, I've never been happier.

"Hey sweetie." I hear my mother come from downstairs. "I didn't hear you get out of bed."

"I didn't want to wake you, just wanted to finish up my reaping outfit." I show her the completed clothes and she smiles.

"Well, go get dressed! I want to see what an incredible job you did." She's so great, I don't deserve her.

I run past her up the stairs and bolt into my room. I take off my old clothes and put on the brand new outfit I've created, a simple white button down and tight blue pants. I admire my work in the mirror and smile. I did great. I look great.

I run back downstairs, eager to show my mother. When she sees the completed outfit, she gasps.

"Oh honey, you're so damn talented." She hugs me tight and I hug her back. The bell rings, ruining the moment.

"Shall we?" I ask. She nods and we walk to the square together. We hug tightly before we separate for the event.

After I sign in I find my three friends in the crowd. Claire and I make jokes, doing our best to calm down. Jackson and Nicole stand stiffly together, holding hands tightly. I have to veer my eyes away from the hand holding to subside my jealousy.

Our escort bounces on stage and Claire giggles next to me. I take a deep breath, hoping he does not reap my best friend.

I calm slightly when the escort reads a name I don't recognize. Claire is safe another year, and I couldn't be happier.

I tense up again as the escort picks a name from the male's bowl.

"Our male tribute will be, Carter Swenson!" Claire wraps her arms tightly around me and I don't hesitate to hug back. I finally let her go and walk up to that stage. I am scared shitless, but I walk like I own the stage. I hope people buy it.

I get a good look at my district partner, a small fourteen year old girl. I sigh.

This is going to suck.

* * *

Let me know what you think of these two!

I'm considering writing another quarter quell, the 75th Hunger Games, would anybody be interested in submitting to it? I'm getting ahead of myself, haha


	11. District Nine Reapings

Sage Krass, 15

I pass out the loaves of bread to the famished children in the orphanage. Their eyes open wide when I hand them the warm object, some are unable to comprehend. Their smiles are why I continue to help, seeing sad faces turn into happy faces in an instant, knowing you're the one that caused it. It's a good feeling.

I end up having leftovers, so I set them on the nearby table for anyone who needs more. I wave goodbye as my mother and I exit the building, feeling good about ourselves.

"You're a sweet girl, Sage." My mother tells me, smile on her face.

"I try my best." I smile back, knowing I get my charitable traits from her. She hugs me tight and together we return home. It's a small home, with only one bedroom for three people it can get cramped, but I never complain. Others have it way worse than me.

I hold the door to our small house for my mother and we enter together. My father lays in bed with a book in his hands. It's weird to see him, he's usually working. But not today. Today, people get half the day to relax and must spend the other half praying for their loved ones safety. It's quite unfair.

I kiss my mother and father on the foreheads before moving to our shared dresser to find a decent outfit for tonight. Every year I stand in that crowd, praying it is not me who has to compete. Every year, my prayers have been answered. I can only pray today is the same.

I find a nice dark green dress that compliments my green eyes. I duck into our shared washroom and quickly change. The dress is slightly big on me, but it works out well. I run my fingers through my brown hair before exiting the washroom to put together a small meal for my family. We no longer have bread, so I make do with some grain.

My parents join me in the kitchen and we have a small, pleasant conversation. We try to avoid talking about the reapings, as that only brings fear. As a family of three, I am the only one they worry about on this day.

I help my mother tidy up the kitchen as the bell starts to ring.

"It's time to go." My father sighs, fear hidden in his voice. I go over and hug him tightly.

"It'll be okay." I say, smiling. I have to believe it. I have to believe I will be okay. For them.

As a family, we walk to the square. Many children smile and wave towards me. One even hugs me. I smile, wave, and hug back. Every smile I see makes my heart happy.

I hug my parents one last time before signing in. Right before we separate, my mother puts a heart necklace in my hands. I clasp it over my neck and kiss her goodbye.

I sign in, cringing when they take my blood, but eventually make it through. I look around at all of the faces that surround me. Many try to put on a brave face, but they all show fear. Nobody wants to be on that stage by the end of the day.

Our escort, Beauli, hops onto stage after our new mayor finishes her speech. While she is excited for the games, as most escorts are, she is dressed relatively normal, in a bright pink blouse and black leggings. She seems nice.

She walks to the female bowl and picks a single name. I hold my breath, praying for the best.

"Our female tribute will be…Sage Krass!" My heart skips a hundred beats as every face in the crowd turns to look at me. I let out a small cry, I can feel my body shaking. I feel the tears fall before I even realize I'm crying. This can't be happening. It can't.

I see the eyes of my parents in the crowd. Their faces make the tears come faster.

It's going to be a hard couple of weeks.

* * *

Samuel Tobin, 14

 _I stand in the crowd, Grant by my side. I hold him tightly, praying they don't take him away from me. I try to stay strong, but they are stronger. Grant is ripped out of my hands. I see him laying on the floor, blood spewing everywhere, the face of the girl from Four standing over him. I start to hyperventilate._

That's when I wake. Sweat covers my body and the sheets I've bee laying in.

A year ago today, my best friend Grant was sentenced to death. He didn't even last five minutes, he made a silly mistake and paid for it with his life. And I had to watch, unable to help in anyway.

I sigh and uncover myself. The cool air hits my skin, making my hair stand up. I shake out my legs before walking to my bathroom. I wash my face in the sink, my brown eyes looking back at a scared fourteen year old boy. I take a few deep breaths to calm down. Sadness takes over my body. Why did he have to die?

I finish in the bathroom and hear the cries of my baby brother. I walk over to his crib and take him out, hugging him tightly. My mother enters our room and smiles weakly.

"Thank you, Samuel." She says. My baby brother stops crying and I place him back in his crib. He falls back asleep. I wish I could do the same.

I go into my closet to find a decent outfit for tonight. I finally decide on a dark blue button up with black pants. The black shoes I find look old and worn out, but they still fit so I wear them anyway. I brush my hair back. A wave of sadness washes over me. I wish I could just go to sleep and never wake to this bad dream.

I take a breath and grab my baby brother before going into the small kitchen. I set him in his highchair and get his bottle. I'm too worn out to eat, so I just nibble on a banana, knowing I need something in my stomach. My parents join me eventually.

"How'd you sleep?" My mother asks me, tending to my brother.

"Alright. I dreamt about Grant again." My mother nods, a sad look in her eyes. Not only did we lose Grant, we lost his entire family. It hurt a lot of people in the district.

I kiss my parents goodbye and walk to the square alone. I enjoy being alone, it gives me time to think.

What if I'm reaped this year? What if I have to face the same horrors last years tributes had to face? Lava, flooding, on top of other children hunting you. I shudder and try to stop overthinking.

I see my friends in the distance and jog to catch up with them. I smile at Anna, her smile making my heart melt. She's so beautiful.

"We thought you forgot about us." Ingrid jokes with me.

"I could never." I say, helping myself calm. We sign in and stand in a group in the crowd. Tensions are high, just like they are every year.

Our new mayor starts his speech and once he finishes, introduces our escort. Then, the reapings begin. I hold my breath, waiting for the worst, hoping for the best.

The female tribute reaped is a girl I barely recognize. Anna whispers to me that she has the reputation for being the sweetest girl in the district. The fact makes me slightly sad for the girl.

"And our male tribute will be…Samuel Tobin!" My heart drops. Time slows down. I can feel the fear growing in my chest. Is this how Grant felt when he was reaped last year?

I clench my fists and make my way onto the stage. I try to focus on staying calm. I barely acknowledge my partner as we shake hands, ignoring the crowd in front of me, ignoring everything.

What am I going to do?

* * *

Let me know what you think of these two! Only three reapings left!


	12. District Ten Reapings

Seriah Jamison, 14

The wind blows through my hair. I stand up straight on the branch. I feel it wiggle below me, but I keep my balance. I close my eyes and hold my arms to my side. I could be flying, like a bird. I could fly away from the shit show that is my life.

I climb back to a safe spot in the branches as I hear footsteps in the distance. I can tell by the gait that it's Jeff. I shouldn't be surprised, he cares more about me than my own damn mother.

For a second, I think he can't see me. But I am proven wrong when he looks directly up at me.

"It's time to come down, now." He says in his best brother-like voice. I fake whine before climbing down.

"Why do you have to ruin everything?" I ask with a wink. That gets a smile out of him.

"Someone has to keep you in line, kid. C'mon, let's go." I nod and hop in front of him, making me the one in charge. It makes me feel better about myself, anyway.

The walk to our shack is short and sweet. I pray my mother is no where to be seen when I enter. Aunt Mollie is sweet as can be, yet I cannot same the say about her sister. I wish my mother had the same genes.

Unfortunately for me, they are both standing in the entrance as we walk in. I feel my body tense up.

"Where the hell were you?" She scolds me. I roll my eyes out of habit.

"What's it to you?" I regret the words I say as soon as I say them. I try to hide the fear, but my heartbeat races a million miles an hour. I see my mother's face turn a shade of red, but she stays silent.

"Just get your siblings ready for the damn reapings." I don't know if it was a dismissal, but I take it as one. I rush to my bedroom as the tears start. I run face first into my oldest sibling, Kinsley. No words have to be exchanged for her to know what happened. She pulls me into a hug and we sit on our bed together.

"Why does she have to be such an asshole?" I ask her. She shrugs.

"She's always been like that, even before dad was killed. She definitely got worse after that, though." Kinsley answers with a sigh.

"She's an ass." I state. After a few minutes consoling me, I decide it's time to get dressed. I find one of Kinsley's old dresses, a long sleeved brown one, that'll fit me. I slip it on over my clothes and straighten it out. She hands me a pearl necklace, her good luck charm for the past 6 years she's had to endure at the reapings. With this her last, she needs more luck than me, but I do not refuse the token. It makes me happy.

I see Jeff leaving our room and decide to follow him. His little sister, Cara, decides to join us. Jeff takes her by the hand and it makes me smile. He's a good guy.

We walk slowly towards the reaping. I hear Jeff and Cara make small talk, but my mind is lost elsewhere. I always dream about living somewhere else, maybe a richer district, maybe even the Capitol. I'd have a mother who loved me and a father who was still alive, not brutally murdered in front of me at the young age of ten. That's a recurring nightmare I've had one too many times.

Before I know it we're at the square. We sign in and take our place with the rest of the cattle. I hold my head high as the reapings begin. It won't be me this year. It can't.

The escort pulls out a single name and I keep thinking that it won't be me. It's not going to be me. I'll be safe another year.

"Our female tribute…Seriah Jamison!" It's me. It's me, of course it's me.

I feel my body start to shake. I'm dead. I know I'm dead meat.

Fuck, why did it have to be me?

* * *

Jeff Hopkins, 18

I walk through the leaves, keeping my eyes up in the branches that hang above me. I know I'll find her here, it's just a matter of finding exactly where.

I hear a quiet rustle to my left side and turn my head in that direction. While she blends in very well, I make out her brown hair.

"It's time to come down, now." I say, crossing my arms. I hear an audible whine from the trees, followed by rustling. The rustling gets lower and lower until my cousin appears.

"Why do you have to ruin everything?" Seriah says with a wink.

"Someone has to keep you in line, kid. C'mon, let's go." She hops in front of me and I follow behind.

On a normal day, I'd let her stay out here and frolic in the woods. She stays out of trouble when she's alone. But today I have to be the bad guy, the one to force her to dress decently and take her to the reapings. Despite living with seven other children, Seriah has always been my favorite. She doesn't take shit from anybody. I respect that.

We arrive to our run down house. I shake my head as we enter. Capitol citizens are living in luxury, yet a family of 11 has to cram into a two bedroom shack near the woods? Disgusting.

We enter the shack and see my mother and her sister. My mother smiles at me, but she can never hide the sadness that lurks between her corneas. I give a weak smile back. I am not a smily kind of guy.

"Where the hell were you?" My aunt, Aishley, looks at Seriah. Seriah rolls her eyes.

"What's it to you?" I can tell she regrets the words as soon as they leave her mouth. I see her brown eyes widen with fear. Aishley's face turns red, but she stays calm.

"Just get your siblings ready for the damn reapings." With that, Seriah nods and almost sprints to our bedroom.

"Oh honey, you have to be nicer to her." My mother says softly to my aunt. I follow Seriah before I get dragged into this conversation.

I see Seriah sitting on her bed, knees wrapped to her chest. Kinsley sits by her, hugging her tightly. "She's an ass." I hear her whisper. I agree.

I let them have a heart to heart sister moment before going into our shared closet. I find a black button up with black slacks, both belonging to my late father. Even though it's been years, I miss him dearly.

I turn around and get dressed quickly, hoping no small child comes towards me. I finish quickly and go into the bathroom, running some water into my hands and using it to brush my hair back.

My last reapings. Then, I never have to worry about the Capitol taking me and using me for their pleasure. My siblings and cousins aren't so lucky, however. I think about little Cara, sweet quiet Cara in those Games, surrounded by bloodthirsty Careers. The thought angers me.

I leave the washroom as my family is finishing getting ready for the reapings. I take a good look around the room. So many young, and pure children, at risk for a sentence to death. It's harsh.

I follow everybody out of the bedroom and to the kitchen. I am not hungry, so I continue to walk outside of our house. I hear footsteps behind me and see Seriah and Cara following me. I take Cara by the hand and let Seriah lead the way.

"Will I be reaped?" Cara's little eyes look up at me. I shake my head.

"You are safe." I say confidently, even though there's no way for me to know for sure. Anything can happen out there.

We sign in together and separate to stand in our sections. Other children seem to step away from me. I can tell I scare them.

The reapings start and I wish it could all be over. The escort makes me roll her eyes, but I start to focus when she picks the female tribute.

"Seriah Jamison!" My heart drops to my stomach. My cousin is fighting in the arena? I wish I could stop her from walking up to that stage, but I am frozen in place. I can tell she's utterly terrified.

"Jeff Hopkins!" I give a confused look before I realize I was reaped. Why us? I walk up to the stage, annoyed my family is suffering from the Capitol's decision. I become sad once I realize only one of us can return home.

 _I'll protect her as long as I can. She deserves to live._

* * *

These are my two babies (along with Carter in Eight) so e nice in the reviews ;) (just kidding, you can roast them, idc)

But seriously, let me know what you think!


	13. District Eleven Reapings

Fodille Earthdrop, 18

I sit on my windowsill, looking at the animals that linger in my backyard. Birds, rabbits, squirrels. All in control of their own lives, no one to tell them what to do. Thinking about it makes me start to tear up, so I switch my brain off. I close my eyes and dream of a perfect world, one where I control every piece of my life. No reapings, no starvation, no sorrow. The tears continue until I hear the footsteps of my baby brother, Farn. I wipe a tear away as he walks into my room.

"You should knock before you enter." I state. He lowers his head in shame.

"I'm sorry, I won't do it again." And I know he's genuine.

"It's okay, baby brother. Come here." I say, and he obliges. I wrap him in a tight hug. I am a few days from being safe from the reapings forever, yet this is his first time eligible. The reapings are the biggest thing I have no control over and it kills me. If I get reaped, there's absolutely nothing I can do. If he gets reaped, there's absolutely nothing I can do. I can't stand it, that feeling of helplessness, despair, all those things that show on the faces of the reaped children year after year.

"Go get ready." I tell him. He nods and runs off to his room. I stretch out my legs and stand up, feeling the effects of being stationary for so long.

I open my dresser and slowly decide on what to wear. I am finally content with a green tank top and white tights. I slip everything on, brushing out my blonde hair. I take my time braiding it, and before long I am presentable. I sigh and close my eyes. It'll be okay. We'll be okay.

I have to take a few deep breaths to fully calm myself. The reapings are the worst part of the year, and that was before I had to worry about Farn. Nothing I do will matter at the square, two children will be sentenced to death, just like last year and just like they will next year. When was the last time we had a victor? I hold my head in my hands but the anxiety is too far gone.

I hear the door open and suddenly feel the embrace of my little brother. I unhide my face and smile at him, kissing him on the forehead. He's too pure.

"Let's go." I tell him. He nods, holding his hand out. In it lies three braided bracelets of three different colors. I made two sets, one for him and one for me. I take the bracelets out of his hand and slip them over my wrist. He shows me his other arm with the same bracelets on. It makes me happy.

I see my parents laying in their bed, fast asleep. My mother looks younger asleep, less worn down by the hardships of the world. My father appears as laid back as usual, he works as hard as my mother but he has learned how to stay calm during it all.

I take Farn by the hand and together we walk towards the square. I notice some harsh looks directed towards us, well specifically towards me. I have always rubbed people the wrong way. It sucks, but at least I have Farn.

I help him sign in and he's super brave during the process. I kiss him goodbye before heading near the front of the crowd. I hear snickering to my left. Just ignore them. Just ignore them.

I look at the stage. The few victors that sit up there look sad, worn down. Winning may not be the best outcome, I pity them.

Our escort hops onto stage and wastes no time picking out names from the bowls. I close my eyes as she begins to read the names.

"Our female tribute will be Fodille Earthdrop!" I feel my entire body freeze into place. How did I get reaped? I made it all this time….I was safe for so long. I shake out my fear and walk onto stage with my head held high.

How did I get here?

* * *

Farn Earthdrop, 12

I strum the makeshift guitar I found near a trash pile a few years ago. Despite it's age and condition, it still produces a lovely melody. I begin to hum, closing my eyes and letting the music flow through me. It calms me, preparing me for my very first reaping.

I am slightly more confident as Fodille has survived each one she has attended, it gives me hope that I will be as fortunate as she is.

I set the guitar down and decide to see my sister. I open her door and she turns to look at me.

"You should knock before you enter." She tells me. I feel my face turn red and lower my head in shame.

"I'm sorry, I won't do it again." I say softly. I see a small smile form on her lips and it makes me feel slightly better.

She asks me to come to her and I oblige, hugging her tightly. We stay there for a moment. It's nice.

"Go get ready." She tells me. I nod, about to ask what I should wear, but I refrain.

I enter my room and spend a lot of time trying to find a decent outfit. We're not the poorest in the district, but we do not have a ton of money like the people in the Capitol. I find the cleanest pair of pants I have, a green pair, and an unstained white button up. The shirt is a little long on my arms and I keep having to roll them up. It's a little embarrassing, I hope nobody notices.

I look on my bed and see two pairs of bracelets, both bracelets that Fodille made for me. I put one set around my wrist and grab the other set for her.

I wait a few minutes for Fodille to open her door, but she never does. I decide to check on her. I see her sitting on her bed with her head in her hands. I instinctively go over and hug her tight, feeling her relax. I wish I could do more for her, tell her it will be okay, but I can't.

I give her the bracelet and I see her face light up with a smile. I can tell she's grateful which makes me happy.

Together we walk towards the square. I try to hide how much I'm shaking, but I'm sure Fodille has noticed by now. I can't stop thinking about what could happen to us out there. I could be reaped, worse, Fodille could be reaped. I don't know what I'd do without her by my side.

We sign in and my body continues to shake even more than it already has been.

We say our goodbyes and I watch her walk away from me towards the front of the crowd. At least this is her last year. She'll be safe after this.

I take in the crowd around me. Many try to be brave, but they fail. I feel bad for each and every child standing in this crowd. This isn't how children should be treated.

Our escort picks a name and I hold my breath, praying it's not my sister.

"Our female tribute is Fodille Earthdrop!" I start to tear up when I register the name. I watch her walk onto the stage, her pale body turns even paler up there.

I hear the second name announced very faintly. It takes me a long time to register it was my name that was called. What? They reaped siblings this year?

I find the courage to move up onto the stage. I see the fear in my sisters eyes and hug her tightly, trying not to cry.

I don't succeed.

* * *

I will be out of the country from July 14th-21st, so the updates will be very slow, if not nonexistent. I will definitely be writing though, on the flight and on the train rides. I'd like to start a new SYOT soon, most likely once the Games are in action.

Let me know what you think of these two!


	14. District Twelve Reapings

Myah Coriander, 13

I stand with my three friends, Jade, Alaina, and Donelle, and I couldn't be happier. They're the best things to ever happen to me.

"What are you going to wear tonight?" Donelle asks us all. As nervous as we are, we try to stay positive.

"I have a beautiful white dress that my sister gave me the other day, I'm very excited for it." Alaina answers. Jade shrugs.

"Whatever I can find, hopefully it'll look decent." She says quietly.

"I dunno, I'll have to go through my closet. Hopefully I'll find something nice." I say with hope in my voice. My mother and I struggle, as most do in the Seam, but I don't mind. She's the best mother a daughter could ask for.

"Could you hook me up with some of the jewelry she makes? God, it's all so pretty." Donelle states, and I shrug.

"I'll have to see, maybe I'll be able to make you a piece." I say, hoping it's true. I've been using scrap material to make necklaces and bracelets, but I'd love to try my hand with real, complete materials. Maybe when I'm older my mother will let me work at her shop with her. The idea excites me.

"I'll hold you too that." She winks at me and it takes me a while to process her humor. By the time I chuckle, she's onto the next thing.

"Well ladies, it's been fun, but I have to get beautiful for the reapings. I'll see you there." Donelle waves goodbye and Jade follows her out. I give Alaina a hug and we separate, heading to our respective houses.

Many people pity my mother and I for how we live. Even though we're poor, we're still happy. I'm sure life would be easier if my father never left us, but he made his choice and I cannot dwell on it. My mother told me he's a merchant in a nearby shop, but I've never met him. Or, maybe I have and I just never realized it. I wonder if he would recognize me.

I open the door to my house and see my mother making jewelry. I smile. She gets so into her work, she tunes out everything around her. She doesn't even look up at me until I put my hand on her shoulder.

"Oh, hi sweetie, I didn't hear you come in." She says.

"What are you making today?" I ask, looking at the pieces in front of her.

"It's a surprise, I was hoping you would wear it today." I hug her tight.

"Thank you, mom." She hugs me back before resuming her work. I head to our shared bedroom and bathroom and try to find something nice to wear. I go through my few clothes and find a decent pale blue dress. I think it used to be brighter, but years and years of wash have toned it down. When I put it on I see a small stain on the front. Oh well.

When I return to the kitchen I see my mother has left my necklace on the table. It's a simple string necklace with a copper heart charm on it, it's beautiful. I clasp it on and smile. This will bring me luck today.

I start the dreadful walk to the square, eager to get it over with. I can do this.

I sign in and stand near the back with the other afraid thirteen year olds. The mayor reads his speech, a sad look in his eyes. The escort comes up next, as excited as always.

I pray I am safe another year as she tediously chooses a single name. She pulls one out and walks to the mic to read her selection.

"Myah Coriander!" My brain doesn't quite register the words that come out of her mouth. Many awkward moments follow before I realize what she said. I slowly make my way to the stage, trying to control my breathing. Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry.

I hold my necklace tightly in my hand. It will be okay. It has to be okay.

* * *

Corbin Chan, 17

I move the tool through the wood, crafting an eloquent design. I hope it sells well, I haven't had anything decent to eat for a few weeks now. But what if the design isn't good enough? I put the tool down and start to panic. No one will buy this, it's so ugly. Why can't I do anything right?

I stand up from my seat with deep breaths, trying to keep the tears inside. The day of the reapings stresses me out more than any other day. Crowds of people, all huddled together, everyone watching each other. I can't stand it. I can't stand the thought of everyone judging every move I make. I close my eyes. Two more times, I only have to stand in that crowd two more times.

I start thinking about all the tesserae I have in that bowl, over a hundred times. All my family is dead, yet the Peacekeepers don't care, they let me take it all out anyway. Both a benefit and a curse.

I find a piece of tesserae bread and slowly snack on it. It gives me something to do that calms me as well. I look at the wall, a carving I made hangs on it. Even if I can't do it well, at least I can do something. Sort of.

I shake my head, finish my bread, and go to the other end of the room. I take out an old brown shirt and black pants that are ripped near the bottom. Maybe one day I'll be able to afford new pants.

I slip them on and find a decent pair of sandals. I brush my black hair back. My black eyes stare back at a pale, malnourished boy. I start shaking when I think about going to the square, surrounded by all those people. Why can't I just stay home?

I find the courage to go outside and am immediately overwhelmed by the crowds. I struggle to get to the square, but eventually do. I shake as I sign in, I get a weird look from the Peacekeeper and enter the crowd.

I keep my eyes closed for the first half of the reapings. If I keep my mind focused elsewhere, I may be able to make it through this event without embarrassing myself.

I keep my eyes shut as the girl is reaped. I don't recognize the name and I hear her small footsteps go up onto the stage. I open my eyes and see a small, scared girl up there. Just like last year.

The flood of anxiety comes back as the boy's name is drawn. I can feel myself hyperventilating as our escort reads the name.

"Our male tribute is Corbin Chan!" My breaths become quicker and I shake my head. No, I refuse to go up there, they can't make me.

I feel two people grab me from behind and take me up to the stage. I start screaming, they can't take me like this! My breath gets shorter and shorter and the screams I manage in between make me light headed.

They push me onto the stage and I slowly stand up. I control my breathing, looking my partner in the eyes. We shake hands and I've never felt more hopeless in my entire life.

* * *

We're done with the reapings! Let me know if you want any particular tribute to be your tribute's ally.


	15. The Train Rides

Train Rides

Carter Swenson, District 8

Lilac turns the TV off and sighs. She's tried to be friendly, but just seems closed off ever since we got on the train. I don't blame her, she probably hasn't recovered from her time in the arena. And now she has to give two children all the information they need to become victors.

I turn to look at my district partner. She sits on the other couch by herself, her knees to her chest. Her head lies to the side, telling me she didn't watch a second of the reapings. I shrug. My advantage, I guess.

Nobody stood out to me, asshole Careers in the first districts, scared kids in the rest. I can't fathom that twenty three of us will be dead in the coming months. How do others do it?

"So, what should we know?" I turn to Lilac.

"Don't get attached." She says bluntly. I look at my district partner, totally uninvested in my existence. Yeah, I don't think I'll have to worry about her. Plus, none of the guys that were reaped were cute. I think I can manage that.

"Noted. Anything else?" I ask. Do I expect to win? Of course not. Am I giving up? Of course not. I'm just a realist.

"Don't let your guard down, focus on survival, anything can happen out there." I hear her sigh. "I'm sorry, I wish I could be more useful." I shrug. Can't expect her to know everything.

I remember watching past Games, watching the horrors the tributes went through. Tributes watching their best friends die, dying themselves. And it's not just other children you have to worry about. Starvation, dehydration, exposure. That doesn't even include Gamemaker threats, like tracker jackers, lava, rain, hell, they can concoct anything to torture us with. I close my eyes and shake the thoughts out of my head.

"Can I be excused?" I hear Lavender say. Lilac nods and she gets up to retreat to her room. I feel bad for the kid. I feel bad for every kid I saw on that screen. Everything about this stupid event makes me hate the Capitol more and more.

Lilac excuses herself as well, and tells me if I need anything just to let her know. I nod as she walks to another train compartment. I think about last year's games, which were even more horrifying than usual. Watching her lose that boy, that was harsh. Watching the Capitol murder innocent families without hesitation was awful as well. What kind of cruel asshole thought _that_ was a good twist?

How am I supposed to go into those games and be expected to kill other children? How is anybody expected to do that? How can we continue to do this, year after year?

* * *

Seriah Jamison, District 10

I sit on my bed with my knees to my chest. I rest my head on my legs, looking out the train window. The train moves past endless amounts of trees with the occasional town in sight. I refused to watch the recap of the reapings with Jeff and everyone else. I shut myself in my room the second we got on the train, uninterested in everything. An avox has brought me food, but I haven't touched it. My mentor has knocked a few times, but after many moments of my silence she left. I have no reason to speak with any of them.

I hear another knock at my door and I roll my eyes. These idiots just don't get it, do they?

That's when I hear my cousins voice. My previous thoughts make me feel guilty, but I give him permission to enter.

He walks in and shuts the door behind him, pulling up a chair and sitting next to my bed. He sighs.

"Jewels isn't a fan of your attitude." He tells me. I laugh.

"I'm not a fan of her existence, yet you don't hear me complaining do you?" He shakes his head.

"I still think you should have joined us, to get a first glance at our competition. Lot's of interesting tributes." I shrug.

"I'll see them all when we get there, what difference does it make?" I can tell my attitude is irritating him, but he doesn't complain. We sit in silence for a while before I decide to humor him.

"Tell me what you saw." He looks surprised.

"Bloodthirsty Careers, as usual. Two volunteers from other districts, the girls from six and seven. Siblings from eleven. No one seemed like a threat but the Careers, as long as we never let our guard down. I think we have a solid chance." I bite my tongue from reminding him only one of us can win.

"Great. You have a game plan for when we get there?" I ask.

"I'd rather no one see us as a threat, the less noticed we are the better. Focus on survival and defense, hope the Careers kill themselves. I'm not sure what else we can plan." I nod in agreement. It's a better plan than I have, that's for sure.

"Well, thanks for the pep talk, but I think I'm going to sleep now." He nods and as if on queue, nods. He hugs me tight before leaving.

* * *

Let me know what you thought of this chapter!


	16. The Chariot Rides

Tazzel Roseheart, District 3

I walk with my stylist towards my district partner who has already arrived to our chariot. He stands with his arms crossed, an irritated look on his face. He hasn't said much to me since we've been together, but I don't take it personally. I've heard his reputation.

My stylist, Petunia, taps me on the shoulder and I turn to face her.

"Remember to smile, don't look frightened. You're young, you don't want to be overlooked. Neither do you." She looks at Flux for that last statement. Based on her facial expression, I can tell he's ignored her.

"Good luck out there." She hugs me tight and I hug back. Despite everything, Petunia has tried to make this process as painless as possible. She's also ensured that our costumes aren't the worst. I wear a white dress with ombre blue from top to bottom. She ensured my "T" necklace is visible, as I refuse to take it off.

Flux wears something similar, a tight white jumpsuit with the same blue effect. However, I can tell he's extremely uncomfortable in the outfit. He's sweating already and the event hasn't even started.

As if on cue, the horn blasts and our chariots line up.

"You'll do great!" Petunia smiles as I walk to the horses. I stroke the horse before getting on. Flux's face has turned paler than usual.

"Just take deep breaths and smile, you're going to do great." I say. He rolls his eyes, yet I can tell by his chest rising and compressing that he's taken my advice.

Once the music starts, it only takes a few seconds for our horses to start moving. The lights blind me for a few seconds and I feel the vibrations from the music. Thousands of people stand on both sides of me, cheering like crazy. It's overwhelming, yet I smile and wave just as my stylist suggested.

About halfway through I get a glance of my district partner. He looks worse now that all eyes are on him. I see him swaying a little. I take his arm.

"Please don't fall." I say. He pulls his arm away from me and says something that I don't quite hear before collapsing. I freeze, unsure what to do. Our horse stops and I realize the rides have come to an end. President Pitheart stands above us, I believe he is giving a speech. I try to get the attention of any Capitol workers to no avail. Flux isn't helped until the chariots are taken away, out of sight from the public.

They roll him away and I see snickering from the Career group. I shake my head, wishing I was anywhere but here.

* * *

Jeff Hopkins, District 10

"This outfit is stupid." Seriah says. I laugh. She wears a long, sparkly dress that drags behind her, mimicking a tail. I wear a black jacket with the same effect. Frankly, she wouldn't care if it was anything but a dress. I think she even fought with her stylist about it. But here we are, all dressed up in our outfits.

"Hey, it could be worse. You could be them." I point towards the two from Twelve, who wear dirty coal miners outfits. The girl doesn't seem too fazed by it, but the boy looks pissed. He also looks like he's going to pass out at any minute, but that can be said for a lot of the tributes here.

She shrugs and brushes her hair back. The horn indicates its time to get on the chariots. Seriah goes up first and I follow, getting a good look at the others. The Career pack formed instantly, both from One, Two, and Four are all members. The two from Five seem to know each other, so I assume they have their alliance. I get the same vibe from Eleven, the siblings. It's harsh, forcing siblings to compete against each other.

I hear the music begin and it takes a while for our horses to stop galloping. I can tell the Capitol citizens have little interest in our existence. Most are focused on the four at the front, betting on which Career will be their victor. Seriah and I stand next to each other, heads held high. We were instructed not to smile, to appear as if the entire thing doesn't phase us. That was the one thing Seriah had no issues with.

Before long we end up in front of our president's podium. He smiles at us, giving us a friendly wave. A few tributes wave back. We are not one of them.

"Welcome, tributes, to the 101st Annual Hunger Games." The audience applauses and his smile grows wider.

"We thank you for your courage and wish you the best of luck. As always, may the odds be ever in your favor." As the audience applauses a second time, we are taken out of the spotlight. Seriah jumps off of the chariot the second we are out of sight and storms off to the elevator. I sigh.

It's going to be a long week.

* * *

I would've uploaded this last night, but my internet was out. RIP

Let me know what you think of this chapter!


	17. Training: Day One

Majesty Holland, District 1

We sit at the table, slowly eating while listening to the advice of our mentors. Glamour is eating it up, she cannot wait to go down there and show off her skills. Me, on the other hand, I don't know how I feel. I can't imagine looking at all the other tributes in the eyes, knowing they all have to die if I want to return home.

"Watch out for any weaknesses in the other Careers, you do not want to get stabbed in the back." We both nod, remembering what happened to the pair from last year. Betrayed by their own allies.

I go back to my room and change into training clothes. At the last moment, I put on my promise ring from Jewel. I close my eyes and wonder how she is back home. I miss her dearly.

By the time I return to the elevator, Glamour is waiting for me. She sort of intimidates me, she certainly doesn't lack confidence. We head down to the training room floor early and see only the pairs from Two and Four have arrived. We walk over to them and introduce ourselves, trying to become friendly with the group.

After some quick chat, the rest of the districts slowly arrive. Many seem overwhelmed, if not outright terrified. I shake my head as Meagan starts to give us instructions.

As she goes over the basic rules, I get a good look at my competition. The girl from Two, there's something unique about her. She doesn't give off that same bloodthirsty Career vibe that Glamour and her district partner do. Chaze, well, he scares me. He hasn't sad much, but I can sense how cold blooded he is. The girl from Four seems very intelligent, yet very manipulative. And then there's Neptune, he's the one I'm curious about. He's been acting like the other Careers, but I can tell there's something more to him.

We are dismissed to our stations and the six of us immediately go to the sword fighting station. Glamour and Chaze go into the arena and spar, and next to them Callista and Lana spar. I stand with Neptune.

"I guess it's you and me." I say. He looks at me and shrugs.

"Let's get in there." We enter the arena and get our swords. Neither of us are experts with them, but we fair alright. We go back and forth before it's clear he will beat me, then we rest.

"Nice work." I say genuinely. He smiles.

"You too."

We move onto archery. I do alright, it's certainly not my best. Neptune is better than I am, but he tells me he prefers a trident. Lana destroys this section, I can tell Chaze and Glamour don't like being shown up.

We continue moving to every weapons station, refining our skills and learning a few new ones. Throughout the day, I've learned a lot about Neptune. I learned he didn't plan on volunteering, but he knew the boy that was reaped and couldn't stand to see him compete. I get the hint that he despises the Games, something that shocks me but makes me respect him. I feel more comfortable knowing someone else has the same feelings as I do.

We break for lunch and sit as a group, trying to intimidate the others. Glamour and Chaze go back and forth, discussing strategy, the other tributes, and anything else. I tune them out, enjoying the food in front of me. My mind moves to Jewel back home. I wonder how she is doing. I miss her dearly, that's for sure. I hope I'll be able to see her in the coming weeks.

* * *

Flux Lambert, District 3

As soon as I see the training arena, I am overwhelmed by my options. The Careers have taken over the weapons station, so I move over to some survival stations. I begin with fire starting, listening closely to the instructions. After about half an hour, I can make a pretty decent fire. By the time I stand up, I realize my district partner had been next to me the whole time. She smiles at me and I turn to walk to another station without saying anything.

After my success with fire, I move onto identifying poisonous berries. It takes some time to get a grasp on it as everything looks similar, and I don't feel completely confident as we break for lunch. I sit alone, as far away from the other tributes as possible. I am known as the guy who fainted on the chariots and I don't know if they'll ever see me in another light. I shake my head as I finish my meal.

After lunch is over I stay to the back and assess all the tributes. Each has their own strengths and weaknesses, each is focusing on a different station, with the Careers hogging the weapons. They seem to be focused on knives at the moment, so I take my chance with the swords. I spend some time learning proper form with the trainer and we spar a bit. I am clearly inept with the weapon but the trainer is patient with me, so that I appreciate. After about an hour I am dripping with sweat and gasping for air. I step out of the arena and drink a bottle of water, thinking about back home.

My heart drops when I think about Lexa. How could I be so stupid to lose such an amazing girl like her? I close my eyes and think about how happy she'd be if I died in that arena. I shake my head. I can't die out there. I have to show her I'm better than what she knew. I have to be good enough for her.

But first, I have to survive.

* * *

Holden Hayes, District 5

I've let Layla guide us through the stations during training. Our mentor suggested we spend time at every station to learn what our strength and weaknesses are. We started off with the obstacle course, which I did pretty good on. Layla struggled with upper body strength, but she made it across successfully. We spent some time making poison, which Layla fell in love with. I had to remind her of our strategy to get her away from that station.

We ate lunch together, listening to the other tributes conversations. We've noticed alliances forming as well. All the Careers, as expected, band together. We've seen the girls from Six and Eight ally together, as well as the girls from Seven and Twelve. It's interesting to see everybody interacting with each other. There's that nagging feeling that we all know everyone has to die if you want to return home. That thought is bound to lead to distrust for one another.

"Want to fight?" Layla's words pull me out of my thoughts. My confused look makes her laugh. That's when she points to an empty sparring arena. I nod.

"Let's do it."

We stand on opposite sides with our swords in hand. She lunges at me quickly and I barely dodge the first attack. I do a spin move and manage to take her down from behind. She wiggles out from under me and before I know it she's tackled me. I laugh.

"I surrender." She rolls her eyes and helps me stand up. For a moment, I realize how easy it would be to kiss her now. But before the thought is complete, she turns and looks away from me. I hold my head down in shame, knowing she would never look at me the same if she knew how I felt.

We spar a few more times, taking turns winning, before the day is over. As soon as Meagan announces it's time, I realize how tired and sore my body is. I grab a water bottle and we lag behind a bit, letting most of the tributes enter the elevators before us. We are the last two to leave, and we get the elevator all to ourselves. It's a quiet ride up, filled with us sipping from our bottles. The doors open and we enter our floor.

"How do you think it went?" I ask her. She shrugs.

"I think we did good. We didn't embarrass ourselves, and I think I saw one of the Careers watching us while we sparred. Could've done worse." I nod in agreement.

"Let's do it all again tomorrow." I give a friendly smile and she pulls me into a hug. I hope she can't see how red I am.

* * *

Lavender Byzantine, District 8

I've spent a decent amount of time throwing knives into targets, and I've actually done rather well. Most of them hit the target, and a good amount of them stick in the center. I'm glad I've found something I can use in the arena.

As I throw, I see the girl from Six has taken station next to me. I see she is trying the same techniques I was utilizing, with less success.

"If you stand like this, it's a little easier." I say so softly I'm not even convinced she heard me. But she turns her head towards me and takes note of my position. Once she adjusts, she hits the target in the center. We both smile.

"Thank you." She says. I nod.

I hear commotion from behind me and turn to see the group of Careers coming towards this station. I look at the girl and she nods. Together, we walk away just as they gather.

Throughout the day, we spend more and more time together. I learn her name is Demica, and she volunteered in hopes to give both her family and the reaped child a better life. I respect the decision, but that doesn't mean I completely agree with it. Regardless, we spend the entire day training. I can tell she enjoys watching more than participating, most likely getting a sense for everyone's strengths and weaknesses.

As we walk to another station, I see the boy from Nine avoid eye contact with her. She turns her head and keeps her eye on him, but doesn't say anything.

"What's up with him?" I say, referring to the strange attitude by the boy. She shrugs.

"I asked him to be my ally, and he told me to leave him alone." My shocked look makes her chuckle.

"He'll come around." We join some others at the snare section, learning how to make very basic snares that would trap rabbits and squirrels. After snares, we learn some basic water purification tactics. The best is to use iodine, but if you have none, heat is the next best option. As awful as this whole situation is, I enjoy learning these new skills and they make me feel confident in my abilities. Strength doesn't always win, you have to be smart as well.

We wrap up with the obstacle course and go back to our respective floors. I never expected to make an ally, but I feel better knowing I have Demica to watch my back. Besides, you need all the help you can get in the arena.

* * *

One last update before I leave, don't forget to review! I was a little disappointed with the lack of reviews I got last chapter


	18. Training: Day Two

Chaze Unger, District 2

I wake up earlier than everyone else, so I decide to get a head start on breakfast. I serve myself some eggs and toast, eating near the window and watching the city. Even though the sun is slowly appearing over the horizon, no one is moving in the Capitol. It's only when I finish my food do I hear my partner enter. We don't acknowledge each other, and that's fine with me.

I think about Brettany every day, how much I miss her. I cannot wait to return home to her and get married. We will have the most beautiful children, children who will be victors just like their father.

I leave my dish where I was sitting and go back to my room to change. I put on a comfortable muscle shirt with shorts and comfortable tennis shoes. I brush my hair back and smirk. I've got this.

I rejoin Lana in the dining room and see our mentor has joined us as well.

"How was training yesterday?" He asks us. Lana shrugs.

"It was good." I say. "That girl from one is a bitch, but I know we're intimidating to the others. They'll be dropping like flies once the competition starts." I cross my arms.

"Don't let your confidence blind you, some of these tributes might have a trick or two up their sleeves." I hold back the urge to roll my eyes. He did win this thing once, he knows what he's talking about.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get down there." I say to Lana. She ignores me and finishes her food. She's already dressed in training gear, so we go to the elevator and head to the training arena together once she finishes. Neptune and Majesty are already down there so we join them. Glamour and Callista come down shortly after and we are off to training before most of the other tributes have arrived.

We start off with the heavier weapons, maces and longswords. I am definitely the best, swinging around the weapons like its dead weight. After destroying a dummy with a mace, I smirk at my allies.

We move onto archery, which I struggle with. I miss the target more often than I'd like, and I'm embarrassed when they show me up. After a few more misses, I put the bow down and just observe. That's when I realize someone, rather two someones, are missing.

"Where the hell are Majesty and Neptune?" I say, getting the attention of my other three allies. Lana points in the direction towards snare making and I see them sitting over there with the girl from Twelve. Are they seriously talking with another tribute?

I storm over to the station and they don't even look up, not until I clear my throat. The girl looks at me with wide eyes.

"Scram." I tell her and she listens, getting as far away from me as fast as possible.

"What the hell are you two doing?" I ask. Neptune stands to face me.

"I was showing them how to make a deadly snare, one that can kill a tribute in seconds. Is that a problem?" I don't like his attitude. I'm tempted to tell him so, but we've attracted an audience. I back off.

"Don't do it again." I storm back over to archery, using my anger to hit a few bullseyes. No matter.

He'll be the first Career I'll take out in the arena.

* * *

Demica Langley, District 6

As soon as I arrive in training, I spot the boy from Nine standing by himself. Samuel, I believe his name is. I walk over to him, just like I did yesterday. This time, he ignores me like I'm not even there.

"I've seen you in training. I've seen your strengths, and I've also seen your weaknesses. You'll be best working with me, trust me." He seems shocked at my words, but turns towards me. He sighs.

"You might be right." He says, one eye on the Careers demolishing dummies with maces. I nod with a smile.

We start off with archery, missing more of the shots than not. A little ways through, Lavender comes over and joins us.

"I guess he's our ally now." She smirks and I laugh.

"Yes, he came around." She joins us at archery for a bit, but we don't stay long. We refresh on our survival skills, how to find food, purify water, make fires. We seem to all be getting the hang of it which makes me feel better. We break for lunch and sit near the edge of the room. We make small chat. I learn that Samuel's best friend, Grant, competed in last years Games. I don't have the heart to tell him I don't remember Grant, but once he tells me he died in the bloodbath I feel a little less guilty. Lavender tells us a little about her family, how her mom passed away and how she loves her father to death. I tell them a bit about my grandparents, how my grandfather is slowly passing away. As awful as the thought is, I do not believe he will be alive if I return home. The thought saddens me.

We finish eating and return to the weapons training. We throw some more knives, Lavender and I are improving more and more with the practice. Samuel is good as well, but I can tell hand to hand combat is more his thing. Perfect. The more skills we can have collectively the better.

Watching the Careers makes my heart jump. They are all lethal with every weapon they touch. One can shoot deadly shots, another hits every target with a knife, another looks like he could snap my neck without blinking an eye. I can only hope they struggle with basic survival skills. That will be my only chance. That will be anybody's only chance.

* * *

Seth O'Donnell, District 7

I've spent all of my time in training at the survival stations. Sure, I could swing an axe around, but I know deep in my heart I cannot kill another human. Maybe my perspective will change in the arena. But the thought of taking another human's life is too much for me to handle. If I still feel guilt for an accidental death, how would I feel after committing murder?

I've tried to be friendly with my district partner, but she ventures off before I can really say anything. So instead, I try to make friends with some of the younger tributes here. Yesterday, the girl from Nine and I started talking at the snare section and ended up eating lunch together. I learned her name is Sage and she is arguably the nicest person in the world. I certainly don't feel like she will stab me in the back.

Today, Sage and I work on some basic camouflage and notice the boy from Six is watching us closely. He appears to be copying some of the techniques Sage is using. I nudge her and tilt my hea in his direction. She smiles at the boy.

"You're doing a great job." She says with a smile. He looks away, sort of pretending he didn't hear her, but that doesn't stop her.

"What's your name?" He finally looks up at her.

"Rally. But most call me Rail." He says softly.

"It's nice to meet you, Rail. I'm Sage, and this is Seth." She gestures towards me. Rail comes closer to us and smiles. And that's how our alliance was formed.

During lunch we sit together but keep to ourselves. Others around us engage in small chat, but we don't partake. Silence suits us just fine.

After lunch we attempt the obstacle course. I get through it with slight difficulty, but my allies struggle. Neither of them are the strongest tributes in this arena.

After they make it across, we return to survival stations and test our food finding skills. That's when the bell gongs to indicate our day of training is over.

Only one day left.

* * *

Farn Earthdrop, District 11

I hold the small knife in my hand. I take a deep breath and flick my wrist towards the target. This one hits and sticks in the target. I smile, looking over at my sister for approval. I see a small smile on her face and I feel good about myself.

This repeats for most of the morning as we continue to improve on our knife throwing skills. Fodille's aim is very good, but I know she excels with the bow. I know she will protect me in the arena.

We move on to practicing first aid, how to clean and dress wounds, care for burns, cuts, the occasional tracker jacker sting. I have some basic knowledge from living in District Eleven, but the trainer teaches me more than I ever thought I'd need to know, including stuff I don't think I'd use in the arena. But I store the knowledge as I have no idea what kind of arena we will be in.

We break for lunch and I can feel my arms shaking as I slowly eat. I have worked hard in the fields, but I have never worked this hard in this amount of time. The heavy weapons, the knowledge, the stress, it's way more than I've ever had to handle. Fodille doesn't seem as phased as I do. Granted, she is much stronger than I am. If she had more weapons training, I could see her fighting the Careers and defeating them. But alas, they have the advantage. They always do.

After lunch, we go back to shooting bows. I step back and simply watch, my fingers too sore from yesterday. I watch Fodille stand in the center surrounded by a dozen dummies. They move and come at her with foam weapons, yet she dodges, jumps, and shoots with ease. After a few minutes, every dummy surrounding her has fallen to the ground. I may be mistaken, but I think I see another smile form on her face.

We finish our day making snares. We don't learn anything fancy, just some basic ones that will trap small animals. I'm secretly relieved when they announce training is over as my body is on fire. Soreness from yesterday as well as the activity today, I don't know if my body can handle a third day. But I have to. I have to manage, I have to try to survive as long as I can. Fodille and I can't live without each other.

* * *

I'm back home! I wrote a decent amount on the plane, so hopefully the Games will start soon. Don't forget to review!


	19. Training: Day Three

Neptune Kingsman, District 4

I sit on my bed and look out the window. The Capitol amazes me, its so large, full of so many riches. Yet many are suffering in the districts around them. I shake my head in disappointment.

I get out of bed and stretch out my body. The last two days of training have been a success, well, other than Chaze acting out in anger yesterday. He's a time bomb, ready to go off at any moment. I just hope I'm nowhere near him when he does explode.

I change into clean athletic clothes and brush back my hair. My tanned skin is paler than usual. Stress combined with lack of sunlight has taken atoll on my body.

I join everyone else out in the dining arena. Callista has already finished breakfast and appears to be going over strategy with our mentor. I fill up my plate and barely pay attention. I eat slowly, thinking about the private sessions tomorrow, the interviews the next day, and finally, the Games. Sure, I'm plenty trained for it, but so are the other Careers. And there's always threats you can't plan for, starvation, dehydration, natural disasters. My training will be little use if I'm starving.

I finish my meal and an avox cleans it up for me. I smile at her and she walks by without looking me in the eye. She must hate us, we volunteer to be here and she can never leave until the day she drops dead. I don't realize how lost in thought I am until Callista says my name for the third time.

"You alright?" She asks me. I nod.

"Sorry, I was thinking. What did you say?" I see a small roll in her sky blue eyes.

"I was just asking if you were ready to head down there yet." I nod and we stand together. I take a water bottle and together we head downstairs for our last day of training.

We all split off to do our own things, Chaze flaunts his strength with sword fighting, Lana shoots with incredible accuracy, and I spend some time throwing tridents at targets. The weapon feels very familiar in my hand, if I close my eyes I could almost imagine I was back home with Finn and Cove. I wonder how they are holding up, what they think of this whole thing. My mind moves to Aqua. I know how she feels about the Games, she hates them as much as I do. I hope she's caring for my brothers. I know she is.

After a couple more throws, I notice a small girl throwing next to me. I recognize her as the girl from Ten, small but feisty. Although she has a decent arm, her stance is bad, causing the tridents not to get very far. After the third throw, I can't stay silent.

"If you stand like this, it'll go further." She scrunches her eyebrow at me and eyes me up and down. After a few seconds of silence, she moves her feet how I have them and tries throwing again. This time, the trident goes much further. I can see her nod with approval.

"Uh, thanks." She says, unsurely. I smile and nod.

Not all of us are assholes.

* * *

Layla Stratton, District 5

After two full days of training, Holden and I are both convinced we have spent enough time at every single station. Holden has taken a liking to sword fighting and wants to spend all of today sparring with a trainer. I would rather concoct poison all day, which is exactly what I plan to do.

The trainer seems happy to see me return and I feel the same, He goes over the basics to make sure I haven't forgotten anything, and we move on to advanced techniques. I learn how to make numerous different kinds of poison, such as paralytics and sedatives. Most importantly, I have perfected the art of creating lethal poison. No matter how it is injected, the victim will be dead in only three minutes. I will certainly feel safer in the arena with it in my possession.

After many hours at this station, I decide to take a break and find Holden. He has moved over to archery. I stand back and watch him pull the string back and release it. I study his face. His grey eyes are fixated on the arrow, his muscles flexing with every pull. After many shots, he turns to look at me. I feel my face turn red. How long was I staring?

"Get tired of sword fighting?" I ask, trying to distract myself. He shrugs.

"Wanted to try to get good at something else. It's not working out so well." He chuckles and I smile.

"We can't all be Careers. Imagine what kind of Games that would be." He nods and puts the bow back. We walk to the lunch room together, eating a light meal but filling up on water. We eat in silence, not much left to say at this point. I find myself getting distracted by him, why am I acting like this? I've grown up with him, shared everything with him, yet nows the time I find myself falling for him? Who am I kidding, I've known how I've felt about him for a while. I guess I've been too stubborn to admit it to myself. Well, with the imminent death we are facing, this is as good a time as any.

We return to training and finish up with basic survival skill refreshers. Many other tributes do the same, but we pay them no mind. By the time the dismissal bell rings, we feel decently confident in our abilities. I shudder when I realize how soon the Games are. In a matter of days, I will be sent into an area with twenty three others. To leave, those twenty three will have to die. I hug myself tight, the anxiety building up inside of me.

Holden and I share the elevator with the two from Twelve and we depart on our floor. The doors shut behind us and the elevator rises.

"How do you feel?" Holden asks me. I hope he can't see how badly I'm shaking.

"Honestly, I'm scared. How are we supposed to do this? How are any of us expected to be okay right now?" I hold back tears as he wraps me in a tight hug. His body feels warm and comforting. It helps me realize it will be okay.

I pull away and look in his eyes. I have so much to say but I can't find the words, so I impulsively kiss him. When I pull back I can see his shocked face. I turn to head to my room before either of us can say anything.

* * *

Samuel Tobin, District 9

After a day and a half of prying, I finally agreed to ally with Demica and Lavender. Secretly, I'm relieved to have the support. I know my skills alone won't get me very far, yet our skills combined will make for a decent team.

I started the day at the camouflage section, practicing panting eloquent designs onto my skin. I'm not fantastic, I think the trainer is a little disappointed in my lack of progress, but it relaxes me. And it gives my sore arms a break from weapons.

Demica spent some time with me at this section before moving onto knife throwing with Lavender. I make a mental note to never piss Lavender off. While she's sweet, she has a tough side. I wouldn't want to get on her bad side or I may end up with one of those knives in my back.

After I sort of successfully paint my hand to look like grass, I wash it off and join my allies at the knife throwing section. I partake in some throwing myself, but I am much less successful then they are. I am relieved when we break for lunch and enjoy the meal they serve. I guess that's one of the few positive things of this whole thing, the food does not suck.

Lavender and Demica talk about strategy throughout lunch, focusing on keeping their voice down so no one overhears. I sit silently and just listen. Demica seems intent on focusing on stealing from other tributes, and I agree with her strategy. I can tell Lavender is a little uncomfortable with the idea, but she does not say it.

We resume training after a good meal and we have a decent strategy in place. The girls spend more time throwing knives while I focus on making snares. With the final hours of training upon us, many tributes have floated to the survival stations. I even spot two of the Careers nearby practicing identifying poisonous berries. I'm sure trainers don't see that all too much.

As the final bell rings, I feel somewhat confident. My final two chances to make a lasting impression will be the private sessions and interviews. I can only hope between the three of us some Capitol citizens take a liking to us and are willing to sponsor us. I can only hope they can see the potential in us.

We'll just have to give them a reason to.

* * *

Myah Coriander, District 12

After day one, I was sore. After day two, all of my body was aching. Now, it's day three and I have never been more physically exhausted in my entire life. My face is red, dripping with sweat as I drink another bottle of water. I don't know how the others are holding up so well, I don't think I've seen the girl from One take a break from fighting since we started.

My ally Ivory comes and joins me with her own bottle in hand. We met at the first aid section and she took a liking to me. I can tell she's very smart and I know I can trust her. She'll protect me out in the arena.

"What section would you like to go to next?" I ask. She shrugs, she's one of few words. "I think we should maybe practice throwing knives?" She shakes her head no. As far as I can tell, she hasn't touched a weapon. Is she hiding her skills from the others? I'd hope as a volunteer she has something up her sleeves. I shudder thinking about both of us out there together with nothing to protect us. No, that won't happen. That's too cruel to happen.

"First aid?" She suggests and I nod. As much as I'd love to throw more knives, I don't think my hands could physically hold them without dropping them. I finish my bottle and toss it out before joining Ivory at the first aid section. The trainer goes over basic first aid, such as how to clean and dress a wound. She's very patient with me as I ask her to go over things more than once. We move on to how to treat other common injuries, such as fractures, burns, and rashes. I notice a few other tributes have joined us, so I refrain from asking for her to repeat herself. By the time the demonstration is over, I do not feel completely confident in my abilities, but we leave the station regardless. I follow Ivory to the fire starting section and she immediately makes a fire with ease. I applaud her and she just looks at me. I lower my head and cease the clapping.

What on earth will I show the Gamemakers? I have no impressive skills, I can barely hold a sword. I guess I'm faster than the average girl, and I have more survival skills than a Career, but other than that I'm forgettable. Small, sweet, and forgettable.

I'll have to do something to make them not forget me. The question is, what?

* * *

The final day of training is here! Don't forget to review.


	20. Private Training Sessions

Rally Toyota, District 6

"Rally Toyota, District Six." The Head Gamemaker announces. I shake out my nerves and walk into the room. The air is chill and makes me shudder when I enter. I look around the room. Many of the dummies are displaced from the earlier tributes, most likely the Careers. I locate a scythe and determine that is my best chance to impress them. I pick it up and get myself situated by a group of statues. I do a few warm up swings before going in. I behead two of them, cut off the arms of another, and kick the last one down with my foot. I vaguely make out a few pleased looks on the faces of the Gamemakers in front of me. I put the scythe back and move onto showing off some survival skills. I make a fire, build a shelter, and identify the edible food in record time. I even hear one Gamemaker clap as I finish up with the food. I smile.

Before they dismiss me, I move onto the untouched paint section and camouflage my hand to look like grass. Once I have finished painting, I put my hand in the grass and hear another clap. If only the Games would be this simple.

"Thank you Rally, you are dismissed." I nod and smile.

"Thank you for your time." I use a cloth to wipe the paint off of my arm and leave the room, feeling somewhat confident in my performance.

* * *

Sage Krass, District 9

I cannot control my leg shaking as I wait for my turn. I shake so much the girl sitting next to me moved away from me. I apologize to her, but she simply rolls her eyes. I feel my face heat up with embarrassment as they announce my name.

"Sage Krass, District Nine." I shake out my limbs and walk into the room. I find the Gamemakers up in their perch and smile at them. I notice only a few of them paying attention and they nod back.

"Hello." I say so softly that I know for a fact they didn't hear me. I awkwardly look at the stations in front of me, trying to determine what the best one for me would be. I find a first aid section and decide it will be my best bet. I start going over the basics and quickly go over the more advanced techniques such as sewing a would closed, determining the difference between certain injuries, and how to determine what degree of burn the victim has. I spew out all the knowledge I have on the subject, which ends up filling a lot more time than I expected. By the time I run out of things to say, Cassius is dismissing me.

"Thank you for listening, have a good day." I say with a genuine smile. I start to chew on my nails as I leave. Was I good enough? Did I make any kind of lasting impression?

I hope so.

* * *

Fodille Earthdrop, District 11

I sit next to my brother in the waiting room, his hand in mine. He is called for his session before I am, and I hug him tight.

"Good luck, little bro." He smiles at me and goes behind the doors. What feels like forever passes before they announce me.

"Fodille Earthdrop, District Eleven." I stand up and take a deep breath. I wipe my palms off on my pants and enter the room. I go straight for a bow and load it with an arrow. I pay the Gamemakers no mind as I begin shooting the targets in front of me. After I feel confident, and hit a few bullseyes, I move onto harder targets. The targets move back and forth and up and down. I only miss twice but I end with an arrow in each target. Not bad for a girl from Eleven.

I go to the more advanced section and combine my running skills with my archery. I am much less successful doing this, but I still finish with hitting every dummy in sight, there just happens to be more missed arrows laying on the ground. I plan to finish up with some survival skills, but Cassius dismisses me before I get the opportunity to. I do not say anything to them as I leave the room.

* * *

Corbin Chan, District 12

I sit alone in the room, waiting for my turn to go in. After a few minutes, they call my name.

"Corbin Chan, District Twelve." I feel every muscle in my body tense up and my anxiety skyrockets. I thought training was bad, this is a million times worse. I know I am supposed to move, but I physically cannot. Every time I try, I feel like I'm going to explode into a million pieces.

I think back to District 12, the many hours I spent cooped up in my house. I vaguely remember a time when my parents were alive. I sit in another room, listening to them talk about me.

" _If he has a disorder, we should take him to a doctor." I hear my mother say. My dad grumbles at the idea._

" _If this is what he truly has, a doctor won't be able to help him." I hear a sigh and I hold my head down in shame._ I remember feeling inadequate, worthless. That's exactly how I feel now, sitting here.

"Corbin Chan, District Twelve." They've called me again. It takes every fiber of my being to do it, but I stand up. I look towards the door I entered from. It would be so easy just to leave.

They call my name a third time and that's when I decide leaving is exactly what I want to do. I run out of the room and into the elevator. I slam on floor twelve and try to control my heavy breathing.

I can't do this.

* * *

Adrian Goldsmith sits at his desk. He holds the cards in his hands, each one containing the scores given to the twenty four tributes. The crew finishes setting up and the lights go on.

"We're live in five, four" The man uses his fingers to count down from three. He points at Adrian. They're live.

"Thank you for joining us on this special evening." Adrian begins with a smile. "As you know, our twenty four tributes have been training for three days in preparation for the Hunger Games. During those three days, they were carefully evaluated by our Gamemakers. Yesterday, they were assessed individually and given a score, ranging from one to twelve based on the skills they demonstrated for the Gamemakers. Without further ado, let's announce the scores." Adrian looks down at his first card.

"Majesty Holland, from District One, received a score of 8." He switches cards.

"Glamour Wintersilk, District One. She received a 9."

"District Two, Chaze Unger, received a 10." Adrian nods.

"Lana Mason, received a 10 as well."

"Moving to District Three, Flux Lamert. He received a 6."

"Tazzel Roseheart, received a 4." Adrian looks sad at the low score, but moves on.

"District Four, Neptune Kingsman received a 10. And Callista Beaufort, with a score of 9. The Careers are strong this year."

"District Five, Holden Hayes, with a score of 7."

"Layla Stratton, receives a score of 8."

"District Six, Rally Toyota earned a 6."

"Demica Langley, with a score of 5."

"Onto District Seven, Seth O'Donnell, with a score of 6."

"Ivory Hart, earned a score of 7."

"District Eight's Carter Swenson earned a score of 5."

"Lavender Byzantine, with a score of 6."

"District Nine, Samuel Tobin with a score of 7."

"Sage Krass, with a score of 4."

"District Ten, the cousins. Jeff Hopkins earned a score of 8. Seriah Jamison earned a 6."

"District Eleven, the siblings. Farn Earthdrop receives a 4. His sister, Fodille Earthdrop receives a 7."

"And finally, District Twelve. Corbin Chan receives a score of 2."

"Last, but not least, Myah Coriander receives a score of 4. Congratulations tributes, and thank you for joining me tonight." The lights turn off.

* * *

One more chapter before the Games begin! I've written about half of the bloodbath, which is pretty exciting. Don't forget to review!


	21. The Interviews

Glamour Wintersilk, District 1

I stand, admiring myself in the mirror. I wear a ruffled cyan dress with heels that make me four inches taller. My platinum blonde hair is in curls. I smile a wide smile. Not only do I look sexy, I look frightening. Good. I want them to love me and fear me at the same time.

One member of my prep team, Pompilous, brings me a necklace that matches my dress. He puts it over my neck. It completes my look.

"Thank you." I say to him, giving him a hug.

"It's been my pleasure. Now go show them what you're made of." We both laugh and I nod. There are no other options.

I stand at the front of the line waiting for my time to shine. I hear the crowd applause as Adrian Goldsmith takes the stage. I take a deep breath. I can do this.

"Thank you for joining us tonight, ladies and gentlemen, are you ready to meet our tributes?" The audience screams with excitement.

"Wonderful, I know they are just as excited to meet you. Without further ado, let's bring out our first guest! Help me welcome Glamour Wintersilk to the stage!" The audience starts applauding as I walk up to the stage. I put on my biggest smile and wave to the crowd, overwhelmed by the support.

"Welcome, Glamour! Please, join me." Adrian gestures to the seats and I sit across from him, a smile still on my face.

"So, tell us, how has the Capitol been for you? Comparable to District One." I smile.

"Oh Adrian, the Capitol is so much better than I could have ever imagined. Everyone is so generous, I'm so grateful." I eye the audience during my statement and I can tell they buy it.

"Isn't she so sweet, I think they like you." He winks at me and I laugh.

"When you volunteered, I recognized your name, Wintersilk. You come from a family of victors, is that correct?" I nod.

"Both my parents were victors and my two older brothers are as well. I will be following their legacy." The audience claps as the bell rings.

"I'm afraid we're out of time, thank you for joining us tonight Glamour, we're excited to see you kick ass out there." Adrian and I stand and I take a bow. I leave with a wave, confident I succeeded.

* * *

Lana Mason, District 2

I stand at the front of line, waiting for Majesty to finish his interview. I wear a sleeveless orange dress that shimmers in the light. My stylist cut a slit on the side to show off some skin. My hands are covered in matching gloves and my long black hair lies comfortably behind me. Majesty walks off the stage and I'm prepared for my entrance.

"Help me welcome Lana Mason of District Two to the stage!" My cue. I walk out, holding my dress up so I do not trip. I smile politely at the audience, but I do not wave. I sit down in the chair and the clapping dies down.

"Welcome to the Capitol, Lana. How are you doing today?" Adrian asks me.

"I am doing well, thank you." I say sweetly, trying to keep a smile on.

"Now, I must ask. What was going through your head during the reapings? You are one of the only reaped Careers I have met during my time as announcer." I shrug.

"I knew sooner or later someone in my family would be a part of the Games, I have been training for it since I was five. When they called my name, I figured it was fate." I say honestly, a hint of malice comes through in my voice.

"Very interesting, with a score of ten I would expect nothing but greatness from you out there." I nod in agreement.

The bell rings and Adrian looks disappointed.

"These interviews are always too short, thank you for joining us Lana. I know you will bring honor to your district. Are there any last words you would like to tell us before you depart?" I nod and stay silent for a brief moment.

"There is no honor in playing these Games." I say flatly before departing.

* * *

Callista Beaufort, District 4

I watch the boy from Three sit on stage, acting confident. I tune out when he starts talking about his old lover back home. I need to focus on my own interview.

My stylist did an incredible job with my outfit. I wear a red dress that goes down to my knees and shows cleavage. Not only am I sexy, I am fierce as well. To top it off, I wear a pearl necklace and black heels that make me a few inches taller. I hold my head up high as the boy from Three exits the stage.

"Give a warm welcome to our District Four tribute, Callista Beaufort!" i put on a smile and use both of my hands to wave at the members of the audience. I make sure to try to wave to the entire room, to make every audience member feel included.

"Isn't she marvelous?" Adrian says as we take a seat.

"What has been your favorite part of the Capitol so far?" He asks me.

"Oh, definitely training. I had access to so many different weapons, and I learned so much from the trainers." I focus my eyes on the audience, trying to play them the right way.

"With a score of nine, it certainly seems that way." The audience applauses and I smile at them, ensuring constant eye contact.

"Tell us a bit about life back home, how was District Four?" Adrian asks.

"It was beautiful, beautiful oceans, beautiful beaches, and the people were marvelous. I certainly miss them, I cannot wait to return home to them once I become victor." The audience goes crazy at my answer and I smile. They've just confirmed I've said the right things.

"I know they eagerly await your return." Adrian smiles at me and as if on cue, the bell rings.

"Thank you, Miss Beaufort for your time. Good luck out there!" I wave and exit the stage with confidence.

* * *

Ivory Hart, District 7

I take a few deep breaths as the tribute before me finishes his interview. I wear a long emerald green dress with brown wedges. It looks like my stylist turned a pine tree into a dress. Whatever, at least it's not the worst outfit I've seen today.

The boy from Six exits the stage and I try to focus on my breathing. _It's going to be okay, you can do this._

"Please help me welcome Ivory Hart to the stage!" I close my eyes before slowly walking out to join Adrian.

The lights blind me and the noise is slightly overwhelming. I start to hyperventilate, but Adrian takes my hand and helps me stay calm. We sit, his hand still holding mine. After I feel settled, I pull away from him.

"Thank you for joining us tonight, Ivory. We are pleased to have you on stage with us." This gets a small applause from the audience.

"Thank you for having me." I say softly, playing the scared, sensitive girl card.

"It was quite brave of you, volunteering at the reapings. Can you tell us more about that?" I want to tell him no, to tell them all to go to hell, but I hold it back. I take a deep breath.

"The girl that was reaped, I recognized her. She was born deaf, and I knew she had a very small chance of winning. Plus, if I win, the money will help my district." I hear the audience 'aww' at my answer.

"What a sweetheart you are, we hope you achieve your goal." He smiles at me. "One of my friends tells me you were close with a tribute from last years games, Cedar Jacobs. Is this true?" I close my eyes.

"Yes, Cedar and I were very close. I miss him dearly. He…was a brother to me." I breath a sigh of relief when the buzzer rings. I stand up before Adrian, desperate to get off the stage.

"Thank you Ivory, and good luck out there!" I wave before rushing off the stage.

* * *

And with that, we are onto the Games.


	22. Day One: A Traitor

The Launch Room

Seriah Jamison, District 10

I stand in the room, very aware of the silence that fills it. I clench my fists, yet I cannot stop my body from shaking. My stylist looks at me, but continues to open the box that contains the clothes I am supposed to wear the entirety of the Games.

He pulls out a thin long sleeved athletic shirt and nylon pants. I change into the outfit as my stylist speaks.

"The outfit is light and comfortable, but it can protect against cold weather. I'd expect snow." I don't say anything.

Lastly, he pulls out sneakers and I put them on.

"Good for running, but not for climbing. Most likely a flat arena." Again, I stay silent.

The announcer lets us know its time to enter the tube. He pats me on the back.

"Good luck out there." I give a half hearted smile.

"Thanks." I say, before entering the tube, trying not to think about how utterly terrified I am.

* * *

The twenty four tributes rise up, the sun blinding them before their eyes adjust. They stand on a flatland, grass as far as the eye can see, with a section of trees to the west and a large lake to the north. They are covered by a large glass dome. A hint of snow can be seen outside of the dome.

The announcer begins the countdown from ten. Let the 101st Annual Hunger Games begin!

* * *

Lana Mason, District 2

I stand in position, ready to run. Only ten seconds remain. My eyes focus on the weapons in front of me, a spear appears to be the closest weapon to me.

With only five seconds left, I hear an explosion to my left. I refuse to look though, my only focus is the spear in front of me.

I was one of the few to stay undistracted and I am the first to arrive in the center. My district partner arrives next, and soon all of the Careers are armed and ready to kill.

"Who exploded?" Chaze asks no one in particular.

"The boy from Twelve. Jumped too soon." Callista says before running after the girl from Nine. The girl has her hands around a first aid kit and her eyes are wide as Callista stabs her in the stomach.

I see two girls running away from the cornucopia with an axe in hand. I chase after them, throwing my spear in the back of the smaller girl. The second girl stops in her tracks and I recognize them as the two from Seven and Twelve. The girl from Seven swings her axe at me, but I duck and roll to the dead girl on the ground. I pull out my spear, use it to block another swing, then I kick her legs and she falls. I stab her in the stomach with the spear, pull it out and return to the center.

I see the decapitated body of the boy from Eight and Chaze standing over him with a bloodied sword. He looks up and puts his eyes on the sibling pair from Eleven, and runs after them. Glamour shoots an arrow into the back of the boy from Seven and he falls. Majesty and Neptune are in the center gathering up the supplies and I do a quick scan of the cornucopia. Chaze stands over the boy from Eleven, but no sign of her sister. He joins his allies in the center and Glamour makes her way to me.

"I think thats everyone. Let's gather supplies and start hunting." I nod, holding my spear tightly. When she turns her back to me, I make the impulsive decision I've been dreaming of. I throw my spear in her back and she falls to the ground. I run quickly and quietly, pulling the spear out of her back. I think I'm home free when Neptune turns to look at us. His eyes are wide and he stands up with a knife in his hand.

"Lana?" He asks, confused. Shit.

"Yeah, someone got her, think it was one of the two from Five." I say with a straight face, hoping he buys it. He holds the knife up and I know my ruse has failed.

"Why?" He asks. I shrug.

"I'm sorry, mom and dad." I whisper to myself as I throw my spear at the group. I hit Chaze in the side of the hip and he screams. I grab a knife and go after Majesty, but he's quick and I only cut his arm. Chaze grabs my hair and throws me back, pulling the spear out of his hip. He pulls me up by my shirt and stabs me in the stomach.

"Die, you bitch." He spits in my face and pulls the sword out. I lay on the ground as the life slowly drains from my body.

The last thing I see is Callista coming around from behind the cornucopia and stopping dead in her tracks.

"What happened?" She asks as I fade into darkness.

* * *

Fodille Earthdrop, District 11

We were almost out, we almost made it before Farn died. I only got out with a knife, yet it's not the supplies I'm worried about.

Tears blind me and I eventually have to slow down. I stand in the forest, tears flowing down my face. I sit leaning against the tree with a tight grip on my knife.

That bastard from Two is the one who did it, the one who killed my little brother. I can picture his face so perfectly in my mind. Instead of sadness, I only feel anger. Anger towards that bastard. My brother never did anything to him. He didn't deserve this.

I'm brought back to reality when the cannons start going off. Nine in total. I sigh. A light bloodbath yet my brother was a victim of it.

The tears finally stop and all I feel is emptiness. It was not supposed to go down like this. He was supposed to survive, to live a happy life. He was too young, too pure.

I cannot let that asshole get away with murder. He does not deserve to go home after what he did to my brother. I will be the one to kill him, I have to. I have to, for Farn.

* * *

Holden Hayes, District 5

When I rose into the arena, I found Layla immediately two tributes to my left. When the gong rang, we bolted straight for the large lake in front of us. We managed to grab a small black backpack before getting out of the cornucopia. At the lake, we examine the supplies. An empty water bottle and rope are all we got. That's what happens when you avoid the action.

I fill up the water and drink slowly, passing it over to Layla once I finish. We sit in silence for a while, regaining our breath from the long run. It's been pretty awkward between us, ever since she kissed me. She refuses to talk about it, she says survival is more important. Once we feel safe, I plan to finish what she started. Hell, it will be my last chance.

Nine cannons fire in total. I wonder who were the unlucky ones who didn't make it. Well, at least they'll show us tonight.

"Whats the plan?" I ask Layla, who is looking back towards the direction we came in. She is silent for a while before finally answering.

"This is the main water source in the arena, so I assume the Careers will make their way here. So once we've rested, I suggest we find somewhere safer." I nod in agreement. But where could we go?

* * *

Demica Langley, District 6

It took a while for my eyes to adjust when we rose into the arena, but once it did I was able to locate my allies. Samuel was directly across from me and Lavender was four tributes to my right. When the gong rang, Samuel bolted straight towards us. I grabbed a few things from the outskirts, so did Lavender, while Samuel was able to grab a knife and a decent sized bag closer to the middle. We bolted into the grasslands and found the tallest section and decided it would be the best place to hide out.

"Why don't we keep going, to put as much distance between us and the others?" Lavender asks.

"The closer we stay to the center, the closer we will be to supplies. We can stay one step ahead of the Careers by always knowing where they are." Samuel answers. Lavender doesn't question this.

Once we settle down, we examine our supplies. We have one knife, I grabbed a plastic tarp and a loaf of bread and Lavender got a full water bottle. Samuel's bag contained a bottle of iodine, a small first aid kit, and two packs of berries. Not bad, but shared between three people it will go quickly.

We crack open the bottle and share it between the three of us. After a few minutes, it's already halfway empty. I'm starting to question our location, and think finding a water source should be our priority.

I tell Samuel so and he stays silent. I know he agrees with me, he just doesn't want to admit it.

"Let's wait until nightfall, then we can find a water source. The only one might be that big lake." I nod, content with our plan. We get comfortable in our grassland and wait patiently for nightfall.

* * *

Jeff Hopkins, District 10

I lost sight of Seriah during the initial bloodbath and have yet to find her since. The nine cannons that fired stay on the back of my mind. She's too smart to get caught up in that mess, that's the only thing that reassures me that she is still alive.

I take a seat on a tree stump and go through the bag I grabbed from the cornucopia. It contains a dagger, a full water bottle, and some rope. I sigh, but refuse to dwell on it too long. Dwelling gets you nowhere.

I decide the forest is the best place to set up camp. The trees conceal me from predators and its the place Seriah is most likely going to end up. I set up a basic snare close to where I set up camp and pray it catches something.

I find some edible berries nearby and snack on them, keeping my ears open for any movement. A slight breeze blows by, giving me goosebumps. I open the water and take a few slow sips. My mind returns to District Ten and suddenly I'm thinking about my family. I wonder if my mother is letting my siblings watch. I smile thinking about little Pearl, I hope she's not too scared. I close my eyes and imagine returning home to her. I start to smile and a wave of sadness hits me. If I return home, it means Seriah will not. I close my bottle and grip my knife tightly. I wish I could kill the ones who forced us to compete. I wish the two of us could disappear, return home alive like nothing happened.

Unfortunately, that would be too good to be true. Instead, I have to fight. Not just for myself, but for Seriah too. Maybe Ten will have a victor this year.

* * *

This was quite a bloodbath, wasn't it?

Glamour-You were a fighter, but you were slightly naive. I'm sorry you had to be the one in Lana's sights.

Lana-A little troublemaker you are, you caused tension from the moment you were reaped. You will be missed

Seth-You had a very interesting backstory, you had a good heart.

Ivory-You've had a rough two years, I'm sorry it had to end like this. You're with Cedar, now.

Carter-My flamboyant little firecracker, you were not afraid to be yourself. You were a lot of fun to write and you will be missed.

Sage-Everyone's favorite, you were too pure for this world. You deserved better.

Farn-The youngest tribute in the Games, I know Fodille wishes she could have done more to save you. You'll be missed little guy.

Myah-Another sweetie, too young for the Games, way too young.

Corbin-A bundle of anxiety, it only takes one wrong move to be eliminated from the Games. I'll miss ya, kid.


	23. Day One: Regrouping

Tazzel Roseheart, District 3

I trek through the grassland that lies between the forest and the lake, my heart racing like crazy. As soon as the gong rang I ran faster than I ever have before. Unfortunately, this means I left without any supplies. I debate whether or not I should return to the cornucopia, but I know that would be suicide.

I walk until I hit the end of the dome. Outside appears to be completely covered in snowfall. I slowly walk to the lake on my right, admiring the beauty outside. I wash my face off with the water and take a few sips as well, praying I don't get any kind of illness.

I stand and start to walk to the glass. I put my hand up to it and feel no cold. I hold my "T" necklace tight in my other hand. _Is it just a frozen wasteland out there? Or could there be more?_

I walk away from the lake, keeping the glass on my right side. After a few minutes of walking, I see an anomaly. All of the dome has been clear class, until now. There is a grey square that covers part of the glass. I tilt my head and walk towards it. I see a smaller black square that lies eye level to me. I raise my hand to it and it lights up. Is this a door?

I put my hand on the black square and the grey square rises. A door, it was. As it rises, the cold air from outside blows my hair over my shoulders. Once the door has risen completely, I just stand there, looking out into the winter wonderland. Curiosity gets the best of me, and I slowly walk outside. Once I am completely outside, I realize how cold it is. I zip up my jacket and see if I see anything useful in the distance. After about thirty seconds, I decide it truly is a wasteland.

I turn to return to the dome when my heart stops. Instead of grassland, I am met with a closed grey door. I start to panic, looking for another sensor to open the door. I search the entire area, begging the Gamemakers to let me return to the warmth to no avail. That's when I start to cry, and curse myself. How could I be so stupid? How could I let this happen to me?

I hold my head in my hands, trying not to think about how this could have been avoided if I had good hearing. If only I heard the door closing, this could all have been avoided. Oh, I just want to be back at home with my family.

Instead, I've just sentenced myself to death.

* * *

Neptune Kingsman, District 4

Chaze has been pacing nonstop since Lana betrayed us. Callista stands on guard with her bow while Majesty and I organize the supplies. I've tried multiple times to convince Chaze to let me bandage him up, but he refuses. He'd much rather pace and swear at our dead ally. I did see him take a couple of strong pain pills, though.

How did I not see that coming? I can't believe we let this happen, two of our own dead in the bloodbath. The Capitol must be laughing at our alliance. I shake my head at the thought.

"We need to go hunt, we need to redeem ourselves." Chaze demands, grabbing a sword and storming away from the Cornucopia.

"If he doesn't disinfect that wound, he's not going to be a happy camper." Majesty says nervously. I laugh.

"Look at him, he's already past that point." This makes Majesty smile. I grab my trident and Majesty picks up his machete.

"I'll stay guard?" He suggests and I nod. The three of us venture off towards the forest.

We walk slowly through the unfamiliar territory, keeping our eyes out for any movement or signs of another tribute. Chaze stays in front while Callista and I stay behind him. He is still fuming, angry at his wound, angry at the betrayal, angry at everything. I simply try to shut it out of my mind and stay grateful I was not injured. I look up in the trees, not realizing how beautiful the arena is. _It could be worse, I guess._

As we reach the end of the dome, a cannon fires. We freeze in place and give each other a questioning look.

"Should we go back? Check on Majesty?" I immediately ask. Chaze shakes his head.

"He's fine, he probably killed someone. Good riddance." My heart drops and I begin to worry. What if that was his cannon?

* * *

Rally Toyota, District 6

The cannon fire makes my heart stop for a brief second. I close my eyes and take a deep breath to calm down. _You're still alive, Rail, you're okay._

When the gong rang, I grabbed a small bag and began to run towards my allies. Unfortunately, the Careers got to both of them first. I was so shocked I froze, yet the survival instinct in me forced me to run into the grasslands. I sit in the grass, gripping my bag tightly. I haven't even opened it yet, as I'm focused on not breaking into a million pieces. Seth falling down with an arrow in his back, Sage getting stabbed in the stomach, it's too much to bear.

I take another deep breath and release my death grip on my bag. I slowly unzip it and pray for something good. The bag contains matches, two packs of dried berries, and an empty bottle. My heart sinks. What did I expect from a bag this size?

I nibble on the fruit, wishing it would do more to quench my thirst. Once I finish one bag, I collect my things to find a decent place to rest. I find my way to the edge of the forest and set up a small little camp, ensuring its as camouflaged as possible. I find a bush of blueberries and snack on them as I build camp. I create a sleeping spot and hide it behind foliage. I grab a handful of berries before lying down.

I start to think about back home. I miss my family dearly, I can't stop thinking about them. I wonder how they're holding up. I hope they haven't lost faith in me. No, they would never. They'll support me as long as it takes.

Loneliness hits me like a bag of bricks. Stress and fear have taken atoll on my body. I try to think happy thoughts as I slowly daze off.

* * *

Flux Lambert, District 3

Over the past hours, I have alternated jogging and walking as far away from the cornucopia as possible. I pass through tons of grassland in the process. I keep looking over my shoulder, constantly in fear someone is following me. Nine cannons fired when the bloodbath ended, with one firing a bit later. That indicates the Careers are on the hunt.

I don't stop moving until I hit the edge of the dome. I nearly fall down when lowering myself to a seated position. I lean my back on the dome and take slow, deep breaths. Despite leaving with no items, I feel no hunger. I am a little thirsty, though. I examine the area I have found, looking for any signs of water to no avail.

After some time resting, I force myself to stand. I look outside the glass that encases us and only see snow. I'm about to disregard the thought, but realize that snow can help me. Snow can quench my thirst.

I keep the dome to my right as I follow it, looking for a door. After a short while I find one. It takes me some time to figure out how to open the door. I put my hand on the sensor and it rises. I take a look outside, quickly grab two handfuls of snow, and reenter the dome. I take my jacket off, create a comfortable bowl, and rest the snow on it, allowing it to melt. As it does that, I go a short distance to try to find any edible food. When that fails, I return to my jacket. Water lays in it. I cup my hands and slowly drink the water. The cold sends chills down my body but refreshes me. By the time I'm finished I am still thirsty, but decide to wait some time before venturing back outside.

I should be okay here, for now.

* * *

Samuel Tobin, District 9

Since it was my idea, I was the first to scope out the cornucopia. I move slowly through the grass, keeping my body as close to the ground as possible. I hold my breath when the metal object comes into sight. I lay on the grass and squint, trying to get a good look. I only see one Career, I believe its the boy from One. I slowly inch closer and I can see directly in the center. Supplies are piled up, easily enough for twenty four tributes. I try to form a plan but I am quickly distracted by noises to my left. I turn my head and see the other Careers have returned. I'm about to leave when I realize something strange, there's only four of them in total. I do a quick count and realize the girls from One and Two aren't with them. Could they still be hunting? The thought is enough to make me flee back to my allies.

It takes me longer than I'd like to find them due to the darkness, but I eventually stumble upon them. They seem sad I returned with no supplies, but I tell them what I saw, including the missing Careers. They shrug it off like I did. We share the loaf of bread we have and finish off the water bottle. I'm lost in thought when the anthem starts playing.

My mouth drops when I see the first face, the girl from One. The Careers are falling apart already? When was the last time that happened in an arena?

The next face is the girl from Two. I look at my allies, their faces are as shocked as mine.

Next is the girl from Three. This saddens me, as she was too young. The two from Seven are next, followed by the boy from Eight and the girl from Nine. The little boy from Eleven is next, and lastly the two from Twelve. The anthem ends and we sit in silence, nothing can be said. We just have to keep moving forward.

* * *

Tazzel-You poor thing, you should never have been reaped, you didn't deserve this

Another chapter done! Let me know what you think!


	24. Day Two: Attacked

Chaze Unger, District 2

After the anthem played, there was general consensus we should rest before hunting more. While I should be resting, I cannot find the urge to sleep. So instead I pace back and forth, trying to cool myself down.

I can't believe I let that bitch get the better of us. How did I not see that coming? Looking back on it, it seems so obvious. How she acted from the reaping to her interview, there was always something weird about her. I shake my head. Idiot.

I start to think about Brettany back home. I wonder what she makes of the whole situation. I know she is still rooting for me, she still knows I will come home victorious. I just have to kill thirteen more tributes.

I stay on guard for a few more hours before I decide I need rest. While I would much rather stay awake, I cannot be sloppy during the hunt. I nudge Callista awake and she grips her bow tightly.

"Calm down, it's your turn to keep watch." She yawns and stands up, loading her bow with an arrow. I get comfortable in my sleeping bag and let the silence of the arena drift me off into sleep.

When I wake up, the sun is just starting to rise. I sit up and stretch my aching back. God, I can't wait to return home to my own bed.

I notice Majesty is on guard. He nods at me and I roll my sleeping bag back up. Neptune slowly rises from his rest and he nudges Callista awake. He begins to pack three small bags for us to carry during the hunt.

"Alright, here's the deal. I don't plan on stopping our hunt today, not until we physically cannot move anymore. Got it?" No one says anything. "Good. Who wants to stay on guard?" Neptune and Majesty give each other a look before Neptune speaks up.

"I will." I nod at him.

"Good, then its settled. Let's get a move on." I take an apple from our stash and begin to eat it while everyone else prepares themselves. Before long, we are packed up, geared up, and ready to hunt. We make our way towards the forest, keeping our eyes and ears peeled for anything or anyone.

Let the Games begin.

* * *

Seriah Jamison, District 10

I sit in the tallest tree I could find, snacking on the leaves. I left the cornucopia with nothing and I'm very much regretting that decision. I had hoped Jeff and I would find each other by this point, but I have yet to find him. For a second, I doubt he is in the forest, but the thought quickly leaves my head. I know he's here somewhere, it's just a matter of determining where.

I jump from my tree to the next tree, keeping my eyes peeled for anyone at all, friend or foe. I repeat this for many minutes, with each jump getting more and more frustrated. Where the hell is he?

That's when I see him. I smile. He lies asleep underneath a pile of foliage. I slowly climb down to the base of the tree.

"Jeff!" I say in a whisper, trying to wake him up without startling him. No luck. I try again.

"Jeff!" I say slightly louder. I see him twitch, but he stays asleep. I pick up a small branch and throw it at him. He jumps up, dagger in hand.

"Hey!" I say again. He looks up at me, holding his hand in front of his eyes to block the sun. I see a smile form on his face and I know its safe for me to climb down.

"Hey kid." He hugs me tight and I do not hesitate to hug back.

We sit at his camp together, not saying much. I finish his water bottle and snack on a squirrel he caught last night. I didn't realize how hungry I was until I smelled it. My mouth started watering immediately. Jeff lets me eat the entire thing, despite my protests.

"I set up another snare, I've probably caught something else." He kept telling me. Regardless, once I finish I am content. We go check on the snare together and like he said, he caught a rabbit. He resets the snare and we return to camp. He makes a small fire, ensuring there isn't much, if any, smoke. He cooks it quickly and puts the fire out.

That's when we hear footsteps. We both stand up quickly, Jeff with a knife in his hand. _Was it an animal? Or was it a person?_

We crouch low and see three Careers looking around the forest. My heart drops. What are we going to do?

"Climb a tree, get out of here." Jeff says in a whisper. I shake my head.

"I'm not leaving you." He shoots me a look as if to say it wasn't a request, and I nod. He hands me his bag with the empty water bottle and I slowly back up, climbing a tree far enough away to where the Careers don't hear me. I see Jeff backing up as well, trying to avoid them. My heart sinks when I hear one of them shout, "There's a snare set over here, we must be close."

"Spread out!" Another one demands. I jump from tree to tree, trying to keep an eye on Jeff. I refuse to let them do anything to him.

He hides behind a tree as the female Career walks by. I hold my breath and she stops in her tracks. She pulls the string of her bow back and aims it at me in the tree. I duck just in time, the arrow barely missing me.

"Guys! Over here!" She shouts, getting closer to my tree. I start to panic when Jeff jumps out from behind his tree and tackles her. She drops her bow and shouts in pain as he mounts her.

I jump down from the tree and grab the bow as they wrestle on the ground. I put the bow over my body, determined to keep it from the Careers. Jeff raises his dagger up and right before he slams it down, one of the Careers tackles him off of the girl. I stand in fear, unable to do anything, scared shitless.

The third Careers joins the group and stares me right in the eyes. He looks bloodthirsty, and I'm his next target.

I hear a shout from the Career on Jeff and see his knife in the Careers arm. The Career pulls it out and stabs Jeff in the heart. I scream. Jeff turns to face me. He says nothing, but the look in his eyes tell me all I need to know

That's when the other Career bolts towards me. I jump out of the way and begin to sprint as far away from the action as possible. I climb a tree as quickly as possible and stay still, the tears blinding me. I hear three sets of footsteps run past me. I sit in the tree, feeling defeated. The cannon fires and the tears start streaming down my face.

 _Jeff died in front of me, and I did nothing to stop it._

* * *

Layla Stratton, District 5

The cannon firing makes my heart jump. I sit up from a laying position, rubbing my eyes. Holden sits on a rock close by, on lookout.

"Anything exciting happen?" I ask him. He turns to look at me and shakes his head.

"Might have been a Career kill. They're most likely hunting." The thought makes me shudder. I stand up and my stomach grumbles.

"Pass the water bottle?" I ask. He tosses it to me and I catch it. I slowly drink from it, hoping it will distract me from my hunger.

After we rested yesterday, we moved into the grassland, hoping no one would come our way. We are close enough to the lake to refill as needed, but not close enough to where someone could spot us from the lake. The edge of the dome lays next to us, keeping us trapped in the arena. Not necessarily trapped, I saw a door leading outside, but it certainly leaves the illusion of a prison.

"What's the plan?" Holden asks me. My stomach grumbling answers for me.

"We need some kind of weapon, or somewhere to set up a snare." I say. I try to think of more to say, but fall short.

"Want to take shelter in the forest? I'm sure there's plenty of branches we could sharpen into deadly poking sticks." His comment makes me chuckle, but the idea does sound appeasing.

"Sounds good to me." We collect our few belongings and start walking the opposite direction of the lake. I hope once we get enough supplies we can return. I've seen the effects of dehydration too many times in the past, I refuse to let that happen to me.

Along the way, we run across a bush of what appear to be strawberries. Holden picks a few and examines them closely. He takes a bite of one, making my heart jump. But as he finishes the berry, he still stands, so I take some as well. The juice feels refreshing and does a bit to calm my stomach down. We collect more berries from the bush and store them in his bag for safekeeping, then continue our trek to the woods. We reach the edge of the trees and Holden begins to set up the snare. I wait patiently as he finishes, keeping my eyes out for anything or anyone. Once he finishes, we trek a little further into the woods. Eventually, he finds a decent sized rock and two strong sticks. He sits on the ground, a rock in one hand and a branch in the other and begins to sharpen the stick. I sit on the ground next to him, watching him work. I end up staring at his face longer than intentional, and have to pull my eyes away and focus on the forest around us.

After some time, both sticks have been transformed into a decent weapon. Could it kill a person? Probably not. Would it injure them? Absolutely.

We decide to stay in this area for a while and hunt for food. By nightfall, we can return to the lake. Hopefully we stay out of the way of every other tribute. Hopefully.

* * *

Lavender Byzantine, District 8

We gather all our belongings and prepare to move towards the lake. After a day of watching, we have determined the Careers are staying camped at the Cornucopia. With that, they always have someone on guard, and none of us want to risk venturing over there.

We have finished off all of our food and water and we are all feeling the effects. We have to stay carful and alert, yet I've felt like we've been sloppy. If another tribute came and attacked us now, they'd have the upper hand.

We move slowly and quickly through the grass, keeping our wits about us. We move past the cornucopia and pray the Careers aren't around us.

We eventually make it to the lake and I breath a sigh of relief. I dip my hands in the water and wash my face off. While the water is warm, it still feels incredible.

I fill up the water bottle and pass it to Samuel to put in some iodine. We patiently wait for the water to purify before we all take turns drinking. We finish two bottles in no time, and fill up a third for later.

With my thirst quenched, I suddenly notice the grumbling in my stomach. I can tell my allies are having the same effect.

"I think its time to hunt." I suggest. Samuel nods.

"Let's." He says, gathering his things. The three of us move quietly throughout the grass, looking for anything that may be edible.

It's not long before we stumble across a bush of berries. I pick one off and take a good look at it. It's a small, round, dark blue berry. Once I realize what it is, I toss it aside.

"I think its nightlock." I say. Demica nods and puts them back as well.

"It's a shame." She says. I couldn't agree more.

We hear a small rustling not far from where we are standing. We all crouch, wondering what could be causing it.

"It's a rabbit." Samuel says, pulling his knife out. I tap his arm.

"Here, let me." He looks confused, but hands me the knife. I slowly inch forward, seeing the outline of the rabbit. I take a few deep breaths before throwing the knife. It hits the rabbit and I smile.

We decide to risk making a small fire to cook the rabbit, and stomp it out once the rabbit is cooked. The food is incredible, nothing compared to the Capitol, but anything will fill my stomach now.

We finish eating and make our way back to the lake to relax a bit. On the way back, we come across another bush of berries. I recognize them as strawberries. As I'm picking them, I realize somebody else has already been here, somebody else has taken a bunch of berries. I let my allies know.

"We'll have to stay alert." Samuel says. Chills run through my body. Nothing is ever easy, is it?

* * *

Fodille Earthdrop, District 11

I've been constantly on the move, traveling from the lake to the cornucopia and back to the forest, trying to find the bastard that killed my brother.

Now, I move through the forest, hoping I come across something. I have a feeling the Careers are hunting, only one of them were in the Cornucopia last time I passed it. Plus, there was a cannon fire earlier today. I'm sure whoever it was was a victim of the Careers.

Something catches my eye in the distance and I slowly move towards it. I quickly realize its a snare with a rabbit in it. I walk around the area, trying to determine who it could belong to. Certainly not the Careers. I try to figure out who is left, but no one is coming to mind. I look around before taking the rabbit out. I reset the trap and quickly leave. Hopefully whoever set it up will simply think they didn't catch anything.

I find my way to the grasslands and set up a very small fire. I undercook the rabbit, too fearful someone will see the smoke, before eating all of it. I feel a dryness in my mouth that the rabbit did nothing to satisfy. I shake my head. They don't make it easy on us out here, do they?

* * *

Jeff-You were a sweet boy, you were one of my favorite tributes that I've ever created. You will be missed. (If it wasn't clear, Majesty was the one to kill him)

Let me know what you think!


	25. Day Two: Monsters

Flux Lambert, District 3

I wake up shivering. It takes me too long to sit up, every joint in my body is stiff with cold. What the hell?

I look towards the door leading out into the frozen wasteland. I see that it is wide open. Well, that explains it.

I stand up and whine in pain. I stumble over to the pad on the door and place my hand on it. The door stays open.

I try again to no avail. I look around, trying to see if there is anybody near me. I don't see signs of a person. Besides, if they had found me I'd already be dead.

I back away from the door and pull my hood over my head. _It's probably some sick Gamemaker trick. Something to encourage me to return to the action._

Suddenly, I hear a loud roar coming from outside the dome. My heart sinks to my stomach. My mouth opens wide and the creature roars again. Yeah, definitely a Gamemaker trick.

I run to the side and hide behind some tall grass, holding my breath. The ground shakes with rhythm, slowly increasing with every passing second.

I can just barely make out a large, white animal entering the doorway. It stands on all fours, and it's ginormous. Its red eyes and sharp teeth tell me its not friendly. I realize it looks like a bear, if a bear were white and double in size.

The bear roars again and keeps walking towards the center of the arena. I close my mouth, not realizing it was still open. I cover my mouth with my hands, partly to warm up but mostly to keep my screams inside of me.

What are they doing to us?

I move as far away from that door as possible, staying near the glass of the dome. I hear two roars at the same time. Did they send two of those things in here?

I have never felt fear of this magnitude. I sit in the grass, my legs too shaky to move. _Please, don't let them find me here._

* * *

Seriah Jamison, District 10

I haven't moved from the tree since Jeff died. Emotions flow through me, anger, sadness, despair. I grip the Careers bow tightly, wishing I could use it to kill all of them. Wishing I could use it to bring him back.

I flip back and forth from being angry at the Capitol to being angry to the Careers. But I know deep down, I am simply angry at myself. Angry that I let this happen. Angry that it was my fault. He deserved more than this, he deserved to return home.

I am so lost in thought I don't hear the stomping until I look up. I audibly gasp at what I see. A large polar bear stands in front of me, it's red eyes glowing. It's so tall it's head is my level. I cannot move. I take slow, deep breaths. This is no regular polar bear. This is a fucking mutt.

It roars and the wind pushes me back. I drop the bow and regain my balance, shuddering. It begins its charge at me and I freeze, unsure of where to go. If I stay, I will die. If I jump, I will die.

The bear makes the choice for me by ramming into the tree. The tree unearths and falls over. I scream as I fall, tumbling through the branches. I land with a thud, the wind getting knocked out of me. I try to move, I try to do anything yet I can't. My body is frozen, I'm sure something is broken. I see the bear walk towards me. I close my eyes. _It's okay_ , I think to myself. _I'll be with Jeff._

* * *

Callista Beaufort, District 4

The sounds of the roars worried us, but it was the cannon firing that made us fearful. We gear up, weapons in our hands. What horrors could the Gamemakers possibly send towards us?

"We stand our ground here, we are not hunting some engineered mutts." Chaze demands. For once, I agree with him. The sun beats down on us, I can feel the sweat forming on my body. I finish off one of our water bottles and eat an apple. I look at the remaining supplies in the pile. Three full water bottles, two empty ones. Half a dozen apples, three loaves of bread, a first aid kit, and two sleeping bags. I look at the items, perplexed. Certainly we had more when the Games started, did we not?

I'm about to question my allies when another roar fills the arena. I grip my sword tightly. What on earth did they release?

My question is unfortunately immediately answered when I see a big, white creature stomping towards us. He breaks through the trees, his red eyes staring at us. He drops something out of his mouth. I gasp when I realize its a body. I am unable to distinguish who it could possibly be. My heart sinks to my stomach.

"What the fuck is the plan now?" I ask no one in particular. Twenty four of us combined couldn't take down this creature, no matter how many years of training we have.

"We run, now." Neptune suggests. I do not question it. As if on cue, the bear runs towards us. I run in the direction of the endless grasslands that lies ahead of me. I hear a loud crash behind me. I stop briefly to look, and see the metal cornucopia completely demolished. Any remaining supplies we had are destroyed by the mutt. I swear at myself before continuing to run.

I hear no cannons fire as I run, which means my allies survived. I slow to a jog once I no longer hear the roars of the beast. I take many deep breaths, my heart still racing like crazy. I mentally ask the Gamemakers to give us a break. Please, do not send those creatures back.

My eyes shoot open when I hear the cannon fire.

* * *

Fodille Earthdrop, District 11

The roaring of the monster sent me up the most concealed tree I could find. I hold my breath as the monster walked past me. I see an animal in his mouth as he walks on by, beelining it straight to the cornucopia. I only relax when he is out of my sight.

I decide to stay in my tree for a while, allowing myself to calm down. I slowly eat some blue berries I found before the attack. I have a headache from dehydration, and make a promise to myself to head to the lake once the monsters are gone. They certainly don't plan to kill us all with a mutt, right? Isn't the whole purpose of the Games to watch us kill each other? How many cannons have to fire before they send them away?

A loud crashing makes my heart jump. I assume that means the monster has reached the cornucopia. I keep waiting for the inevitable cannon fire, but none come. Maybe the Careers are smarter than they appear.

I hear footsteps getting closer and closer. I peak out of the leaves and see someone running into the trees. Every limb goes stiff when I realize who it is; the boy from Two. The boy who murdered my brother.

He stops his sprint and leans against a tree, catching his breath. I freeze, unsure of what to do. Do I attack now, while he's vulnerable? Am I strong enough to take him, or will I simply embarrass myself?

I conclude this will be my only opportunity to have the upper hand on him. I move very slowly, keeping my breath slow and steady. Just as he catches his breath, I jump out of my tree and land on top of him. He's taken off guard and his sword slides away from his grasp.

Weaponless, he is still infinitely stronger than I am. I flail my knife around, trying to get a good swing at him. I manage to stab him in the shoulder. He shouts profanity at me before throwing me off of him. I fly back and land next to his sword. He pulls my knife out of his shoulder as I pick up the sword. He tilts his head at me, almost as if he recognizes me.

"You're his sister, aren't you?" I can feel my face heat up and a smile forms on his face.

"You're a fighter, aren't you? That's so sweet, trying to avenge your dead brother. Don't worry, you'll be with him soon." Anger boils in my veins.

He charges at me and I swing the sword at him. He blocks it with the knife and takes me down. He mounts me, a crazed look in his eye.

I manage to knee him in the groin. He loosens his grip for only a second, but its long enough. I use all the strength I have left to push him to the side. I pick up the sword and swing it at him. It leaves a large gash from his shoulder to his stomach. Blood soaks his clothes immediately.

"You….bitch." He says before passing out. I fall to the ground, exhaustion taking over. I am unable to stop myself from passing out as the cannon fires.

* * *

Demica Langley, District 6

We sit by the water, hiding from whatever threat lays out there. We heard the roars, the firing of two cannons, and refuse to venture out until we know its safe.

My heart stops when I see the creature, it's something out of a nightmare. For a moment, I fear it will find us, but instead it bypasses us. I watch it walk out of the dome and into the snow. I feel the pressure lifted off of my shoulders. They must be done torturing us for now.

"He came from the cornucopia." Samuel states. I look around the arena and realize he's right.

"You think those two cannons belonged to Careers?" Lavender asks. He shrugs.

"They might have. Regardless, there's a good chance the cornucopia is empty." I realize what he's hinting at and shrug.

"That's a big might. You sure you want to risk it?" He nods.

"We'd get a lot of supplies for ourselves, and hurt the Careers at the same time. It's our best bet of winning." I ignore the fact only one of us can come out victorious.

"Alright, you lead on." I say. He eagerly listens and the three of us make our moves back towards the center. I start to get nervous as we approach. For a moment, I think we've gone the wrong way. The metal structure that stood up is no longer there. I look to the side and see it has been absolutely destroyed. I say a quick thank you that the monster never found us. If it could destroy a metal structure like it was paper, I'm afraid to think about what it could have done to a person.

Just as Samuel thought, there isn't a single Career in sight. The monster seemed to have destroyed most of the supplies, but we are able to salvage some things. We leave with a full water bottle, two daggers, a sword, a first aid kit, and a sack of six apples. I see a smile form on Samuel's face, and I cannot help but smile myself. There's a brief moment of confidence, of true belief I can leave this arena alive. The feeling lasts only a moment, but its still nice.

We decide to head back to the lake incase one of the Careers comes back. We enjoy a nice meal, eating three of the apples and some berries we picked up on the way back.

I can only hope our luck continues.

* * *

Seriah-My spicy little tribute, you were the most fun to write. I'd totally let you win if I didn't create you.

Chaze-You had a target painted on your back from the beginning. You were cold blooded and ruthless, but I will miss writing you.

I have had nearly zero motivation to write lately, so I can't promise fast updates. I'm hoping that has passed and I can get back to writing a lot again soon.


	26. Day Three: Friendships

Majesty Holland, District 1

Neptune and I ran south, we ran as far south as possible. Fortunately, we seemed to have lost the beast and finally feel secure enough to set up camp.

It was pure luck, really, that the day we decided to leave the others is the day the Gamemakers send a mutt out to displace us. We're very lucky we had already packed our supplies before the attack. The monster destroyed the cornucopia, and most likely everything inside. It'll be hard to salvage anything from it. I can only hope it hurts Callista and Chaze in the long run.

We sit on the ground and take a look in our bag. We have one first aid kit, two loaves of bread, four apples, one sleeping bag, one full water bottle, and iodine. I smile. We should be okay.

"What do you think happened to the others?" Neptune asks me. I shrug. During our escape, we heard a cannon fire. It could have been anyone, honestly. We'll just have to wait and see who.

"Do you think they made it?" Neptune asks me. It takes me a moment to realize who "they" are. I nod.

"I would think so, but who knows. At least one of them made it." I shudder when I think about what the monster could have done to them, to anyone.

"Don't worry about it too much, it's one less competitor." I nod in agreement. I sigh and unwrap a loaf of bread. I take a bite and pass it to Neptune, who does not refuse it. We sit in silence for a long time, enjoying the food and enjoying the quiet. The sun sets on the arena, and the wind cools us down.

"What was life back home?" Neptune asks me out of the blue. I shrug.

"Could have been better." I say honestly. "Nothing compared to the life as other districts, though. I just wish my family was more understanding. They're the reason I'm here." I say quietly, worried this conversation will be broadcasted.

"What do you mean?" Neptune looks confused and I explain.

"My parents pressured me to volunteer. They both regret never volunteering and take it out on their children. It was just my luck I was the only boy." Neptune nods in agreement.

"I hate the games too." He says. Now I'm the confused one. I'm not the only person who feels this way?

"Yeah, I know, most people from Four don't say that. But I'm not like most people. I understand why the Capitol does it, but that doesn't make it right." He answers my questions before I even ask them.

"Huh, and I thought I was the only one who felt that way." I reply. He smiles at me and I smile back. For the moment, I try to push the unforgettable thought out of my head. Only one of us can come out alive.

* * *

Holden Hayes, District 5

I lay in the grass, watching the stars slowly form in the sky. Despite knowing its fake, another illusion created by the Gamemakers, there's something relaxing about it. For a moment, I can forget I will either leave here in a box, no longer alive, or a murderer. I haven't decided which is worse.

Layla stands in eyesight of me, standing guard. I sit up from my laying position, brushing the grass off of my body. I slowly stand up and join her.

She stares off into the distance, her hands crossed in front of her with her sharpened stick in her hands. She doesn't turn to look at me when I walk over to her. I can tell she's lost in thought, but that's about it. She's been more closed off than usual ever since we entered the arena. Most of that is fear, that's for certain. But I can't help but think there's more on her mind than that. I know I can't stop thinking about the kiss, what could have happened between us. What could still happen between us.

"Do you want to take a break?" I suggest, immediately wishing I had brought up what's been on my mind for a while. She doesn't move at my question, she stays fixated on that one spot in the distance. I sigh.

"Could we talk, about what happened?" This gets her attention and she turns to look me in the eyes. I think I see her face turn slightly red, but it's hard to tell in the darkness. She shakes her head and turns away again.

"There's nothing to talk about." She says in a whisper. I disagree. I put my hand on her shoulder and she turns to look at me again.

"We both know one of us isn't making it out here alive, we can't continue to hold back. This is our last chance to be honest with each other." Her eyes stare at mine.

"I….I don't know what you mean." She rushes her sentence out and tries to pull away, but I don't let her. I pull her closer to me, wrapping my arms around her body.

"I like you, Layla. I always have." I say with as much confidence as I can muster. She releases the grip on her weapon and puts her hand on my face. I lean in for a kiss and to my surprise she doesn't pull away. My heart flutters, excitement takes over. I pull back with a smile when the anthem begins to play. She takes this moment to pull away from me, but I still catch a glimpse of the smile on her face. We both turn to see the fallen.

I am shocked when the face of the boy from Two projects in the sky. I am suddenly filled with hope, hope that one of us can go home alive. With only three Careers left, we have a real chance of winning.

The last two faces to show are the cousins from Ten. My heart drops for them, but at least they are together. The anthem ends and silence fills the arena. Layla reaches her hand out and holds my hand tightly.

We can do this. We can win.

* * *

Rally Toyota, District 6

It's easy to say that I have been one of the luckier tributes in these Games. I have successfully avoided every Career attack, I have found a tiny pond to stay hydrated, and I successfully avoided both mutts that were sent through the arena. I sit by my pond, sipping water out of my bottle and eating some fresh berries I found on a nearby bush. Despite all of these fortunes, I have never felt lonelier. I think about back home, how I would spend my time painting or with Casey. There was never a time where I was alone for more than twenty four hours. I put my head in my lap, wishing my allies could have been as fortunate as I was. I feel tears form in my eyes and I wipe them away quickly. I hold my head back up, trying to blink away the water. I think about the irony of the whole situation. I'm alive, I'm well fed, well hydrated, no imminent threats, yet it's the loneliness that has broken me. I shake my head. I don't understand how we can continue to host these torturous Games, how we can sit aimlessly and do nothing to stop them. I think back to what began this whole tradition, the rebellion one hundred and one years ago. Maybe our ancestors were onto something. Maybe they saw the truths we are too scared to admit to ourselves.

Maybe something needs to change.

* * *

Not the most exciting chapter, but I enjoy developing the friendships that form in the Games.

Don't forget to review!


	27. Day Three: Survival

Callista Beaufort, District 4

I stay on the move, trying not to be in one place for too long. I was shocked when I saw the faces in the sky, Chaze is really gone. Secretly, I'm relieved. He was always too angry, too unpredictable. It always kept me on edge.

I refuse to find my previous allies. I've seen how they work together, how friendly and smart they are with each other. I know as soon as I show up they'll kill me, no question. I can't let my guard down, not this far in. I always have to stay one step ahead of them.

As I continue moving forward, I take in the size of the arena. I never realized how big the grasslands are. I've felt like I've walked miles yet have made little progress. With every passing minute it gets more and more difficult to swallow. I start to worry about my lack of supplies, no food, no water, only a single sword. I stop walking and take a good look around the area I stand in. I know there's a lake somewhere, but I'm not sure which direction. Do I try to backtrack and return to the cornucopia? Or do I pick a direction and hope it's the right one? I'm lost in thought when a rustling in the distance makes me jump. I grip my sword tightly and crouch, suspecting another tribute is in my presence. I take slow, quiet breaths, trying to listen for another sound. I hear it in the form of footsteps and begin to move forward, trying to keep my noise to a minimum.

I see him before he sees me. I run out of the grass, his blue eyes widen with fear. I think he tries to say something, but my sword slices him in half before he gets the chance. The cannon fires, signaling the end of the boy from Three.

I quickly search his body and find no supplies. I swear, irritated that I'm back to step one. As I think of what to do, I see his jacket laying in the distance. I walk over to it and see half melted snow laying in it. I cup my hands and dip it in the cold water, slowly drinking. It's not much, but it's enough to refresh me. So, this is how he has survived for so long without supplies. I'm impressed, really. He was a true survivor.

I decide staying put will be my best bet for the night. In the morning, I will scope out the direction of the lake and make a camp there. Nobody will stand in my way to victory.

* * *

Samuel Tobin, District 9

The cannon firing scares me awake. I hold my hand to my chest, trying to control my breathing. I see the same look on my allies faces. By the position of their bodies, I realize someone fell asleep on guard. Fear quickly turns into anger.

"Who was supposed to be on guard?" I stand up quickly, looking at my two allies. I see the look on Lavender's face and it tells me all I need to know.

"I'm sorry….I didn't realize how tired I was." I can tell she's sincere by the tone of her voice, but anger overtakes reason.

"That cannon could have been you, you have to be more careful." I say, storming off towards the lake. I sit at it's edge, splashing water into my face. The water turns brown and I sigh. I am in desperate need of a bath.

I hear footsteps coming towards me and I turn to ensure it's an ally. Demica stands a few feet away from me.

"She truly is sorry." Demica states flatly. I sigh.

"I know she is, but it doesn't make it any less wrong. It was careless." I say quietly, my mind suddenly jumping to last years Games. How careless Grant was. I shut my eyes, wishing I could disappear from this arena. God, why did it have to be me? Why did it have to be any of us?

Demica puts her hand on my shoulder and I open my eyes. I sigh, feeling no more strength to stay angry. Demica and I walk together back to Lavender, who sits on the ground with her knees to her chest. Her head is turned away from us. I crouch down next to her.

"I'm sorry I got mad at you." I manage to get out. She turns her head to face me.

"You better be." She tells me. My face is about to turn red when I see a small smile form on her face. I roll my eyes and stand up.

I will never understand girls.

* * *

Fodille Earthdrop, District 11

I open my eyes and I'm taken back by my location. I sit up in my bed, looking from side to side. I am back in my room in District 11.

I take deep breaths, worried I will begin to hyperventilate. I slowly pull the sheets off of me and step out of bed. There is a weird sensation all over my body, but I cannot put my finger on it.

The knock at my door makes me jump.

"Can I come in?" I gasp when I recognize the sweet voice of my little brother. I run over to the door and try to open it, but my hands keep slipping off the knob. After my many failed attempts, he turns the knob successfully and stands in front of me. I start crying tears of happiness. I get down on my knees and hug him tightly. He hugs me back.

"Did you kill the bad man?" He asks me. I pull back from the hug, crying even harder than before.

"Yes, brother. I killed him for you." Farn smiles at me, his sweet blue eyes form tears as well.

"You're going to win for us, right? You have to win." He takes my hands and I grip him tightly. I never want to get go.

"Of course, baby brother. I will win, for you." Just as I finish my sentence, the room around me begins to fade away. I start to hyperventilate. I pull Farn in tightly.

"Please, please don't go. Please, don't leave me again!" I beg of him. As he wraps his little arms around me, I no longer feel the warmth of his body. Everything has faded away from me.

I wake up with a scream, and immediately cover my mouth. My entire body is covered in sweat. It takes a long time for me to regain a steady breathing pattern. I swear out-loud, and start to cry. I thought killing Chaze would make me feel better, but nothing has changed. Farn is still dead, and my life is still at risk.

I sit with my knees to my chest, making myself as small as possible. I let out a quiet cry, not caring about the opinion of those watching me on television. I don't care about anything but my brother, my sweet brother.

I wish I was better, stronger, even braver. I wish I could have protected him. It should have been me who died, not him. Anybody but him. A final sob escapes before I am dried out of tears. The Games have drained me of all my emotion and now, I feel nothing.

I am nothing.

* * *

Another short one, but we lost another tribute. Oh Flux, you were a lot of fun to write. I know you regret your actions back home, you had a good heart.


	28. Day Three: Choices

Layla Stratton, District 5

Despite everything we have to endure, having Holden by my side makes it better.

I've never been one to rely on others to get by. You can only trust yourself in this world. But when forced into an arena, where everyone is banking on your death, having someone you can rely on by your side makes it a hell of a lot easier to endure.

I finish off the last of our water bottle, hoping it settles the hunger in my stomach. I think about the berry bush we found earlier, and wonder if returning to it would be a good idea. We could fill up on food and water while we're in the area. I suggest my idea to Holden and he shrugs.

"Food and water never hurt." He states. And with that, we collect our belongings and walk back towards the direction of the lake.

We walk slowly, staying alert. I use this time to dwell on the future. While I try not to think about it, knowing only one of us can survive stresses me out. How could either of us return to the district and live out our lives like nothing happened? What if it comes down to the two of us, how could either of us live with that guilt plaguing our every thought?

I glance over at Holden, his face glaring at the grass that lies ahead of us. I wonder what thoughts flow in his mind.

He stops dead in his tracks and holds his arm out to stop me from walking. We crouch and I look at him, confused. He turns and mouths to me, "Up ahead". I focus my senses towards that direction and my heart stops when I hear the voices of fellow tributes.

I poke my head out of the grass and make out two, no, three tributes sitting together by the edge of the lake. Two girls and one boy sit there, but I can't distinguish who from this distance. I try to get a good look at their supplies. I see a few weapons and a decent sized bag, most likely containing all of their supplies. Holden nudges me.

"What's the plan?" I shake my head with uncertainty. We could probably take them, they all seem smaller and younger than us. But could we leave without injury?

That's when the boy turns in the direction we stay. He stands quickly, picking up the sword that laid next to him.

"Get up." I hear him tell his allies. They listen, both pulling out daggers. Now I'm starting to question our chances, thinking our pointed sticks won't be much use here.

"I'll reveal myself. Prepare to attack." Holden tells me. I'm about to argue when he stands, holding his arms up above his head. God dammit.

"I was just searching for water, I mean no harm." His tone of voice is almost convincing. I watch the other tributes keep their eyes on Holden. I move over slightly to get out of their direct eyesight, waiting for the right moment.

"Are you alone?" The boy asks. Holden nods. One of the girls tilts her head sideways, in confusion.

"His district partner…." She whispers, slowly realizing Holden's lie. That's when I reveal myself. I throw my stick at the boy in the center. He reacts in time and ducks out of the way. Holden runs forward and tackles the girl to his right, and I tackle the other girl. I am able to get my hands on her dagger, but she is able to shove me off. The boy comes at me with his sword and I roll back. He pulls his sword out of the ground, but not before I stab him in the back. He cries out and falls to his knees, dropping his sword. The girl I tackled picks up his sword and swings it at me, cutting my arm. I swear loudly, covering the cut with my hand. The pain is excruciating.

"Holden!" I shout as the girl swings at me again. He runs towards me with a dagger in his possession. He takes my good arm and pulls me away from the attack.

We run far and fast and I can feel myself losing consciousness from blood loss. We run into the forest and it becomes harder for me to keep my balance. Eventually, I can go no further and collapse in the woods. Holden holds me as I slowly fade asleep. Right before I lose consciousness, I hear the unmistakable sound of a cannon firing.

* * *

Rally Toyota, District 6

The crashing of footsteps nearby scares the crap out of me. I crouch behind a tree, hoping and praying whatever is out there won't detect me. There is a loud crash before the noises cease. I hold my breath, terrified. A cannon fires.

"Please, please don't do this to me." I hear a boy say, tearing up. A few seconds pass before he breaths a sigh of relief.

I hear more rustling and slowly find the courage to see who my new neighbors are. I see a boy and a girl that I recognize as the pair from Five. I realize the girl is bleeding uncontrollably in the arm and is much paler than I remember. The boy is taking off his jacket, trying to cover the wound. His hands are shaking like crazy. It's obvious how much he cares about her.

I hear him take a few deep breaths and stand up, brushing the dirt off of him. He makes her a little bed, covering her with nearby foliage. For a moment, I feel like a spectator, rooting for this boy and his partner to be victorious. It takes me a moment to come back to reality, to realize I am much more than a spectator. I am a competitor, and these two must perish before I can return home.

However, I cannot find the will to attack. Even if I killed the girl, the boy would kill me next. So instead, I leave the pair and retreat further into the woods.

* * *

Neptune Kingsman, District 4

The cannon makes us stop dead in our tracks. I instinctively turn to look at Majesty, who still stands. I breath a sigh of relief at both of our safety.

"Who do you think that belonged to?" My ally asks me. I shrug.

"There's no way to know. Maybe Callista is out hunting." I shudder at the thought. She may be weaker due to a lack of supplies, but she's smart and she's lethal. I'm sure she's found a way to stay alive out there.

We continue our hunt throughout the grasslands, keeping a lookout for food, tributes, anything really. We have enough supplies to last us a while, but we have to stay active to keep the Gamemakers happy. If we start to slack, there's no telling what they could throw our way.

We come across the edge of the lake and take a quick breath to refill our bottles and eat some food. We finish off our apples and one full bottle before moving along.

"Did the water level seem lower to you?" Majesty asks me as we turn away. I look at him confused.

"Maybe it's just me." He says, ending the conversation. I look back at the lake, but I can't tell from this distance. I shake my head, hoping the Gamemakers aren't trying to mess with us so soon after the attack.

Suddenly, I am extremely aware of the heat that has come over the arena. I can see Majesty sweating as well and am suddenly fearful of the Gamemakers. We find ourselves at one of the doors leading into the wasteland outside. Majesty opens the door and we stand in front of it, letting the winter air cool us down.

The sun slowly begins to set on the arena. I stop to take in the beauty of it. The sun beaming over the horizon, beautiful lighting, peace and quiet. It reminds me of home.

Suddenly I am aware of an unnatural light shining in the forest. Majesty recognizes the threat before I do.

"Fire." He says so calmly I don't realize how threatening it is right away. I look at him and his eyes are wide with fear.

"Let's get out of here." I say, taking a deep breath before running as far away from the wildfire as possible.

* * *

It's about to heat up in this arena.

Samuel-I'm so sorry bud, you were a good kid with a bad past. You and Grant are together now.

Don't forget to review!


	29. Day Four: Heating Up

Rally Toyota, District 6

I didn't get much peace before the smoke alerted me to the dangers creeping up on me. I quickly shove everything into my bag and run in the opposite direction of the flames.

I cover my mouth to try to keep my lungs clean to no avail. It doesn't take long before I am coughing like crazy and I have to stop to catch my breath. Just as I get enough air in me, I realize I am standing in front of the armed boy from Five. He stares at me with his dagger raised, confused.

I point behind me and wheeze "fire". His eyes widen when he sees the smoke forming over the trees and begins to frantically pack his belongings. I am about to begin running again, when I see his district partner laying on the ground.

"Is she injured?" I ask him. He doesn't even look at me. I ask again louder. He stops what he's doing, clearly fearful of the threat.

"Yes…yes she is." He throws his small bag over his shoulder and tries to wake her.

"Layla, please wake up." She moans but doesn't move. He puts her arm over his shoulder and tries to stand, but I can tell she's a dead weight. He's about to collapse when I run over and hold her up. He looks at me confused, but allows me to put her other arm around myself.

The three of us begin to evade the fire, but I can tell we are slower than it is. A slight pain of regret creeps up in my mind, but I push it away so quickly. I would want somebody to do the same for me, if I were in her position.

The boy trips over a fallen branch and the three of us collapse. I realize we are running out of time, and the place we stand will be in flames in mere seconds. The smoke combined with exhaustion and dehydration has taken over, not all of us are making it out alive.

The boy goes to pick her up again, but I put my hand on his shoulder.

"We have to go. Now." His eyes tear up from the smoke, I think. He ignores me, trying to hoist the girl up again. I take his arm and slowly pull him away, the heat nearly too much to bear.

"Come on, you know this is what she would want." I say, despite not knowing anything about her. The boy is shaking, but I am able to pull him away. I think I hear him let out a sob when the cannon fires and tears start forming in my eyes.

What have I done?

* * *

Lavender Byzantine, District 8

I kneel in the grass, the same spot Samuel lost his life. The hovercraft took is body ages ago, yet I stay put, mourning him. Demica stands on guard nearby. She is devastated by the loss as well. We both feel guilty, wishing we were able to do more. Not only did we lose our friend, we lost some supplies as well. I shake my head in disappointment.

The cannon firing makes me stand up. I look over at Demica, who has not stopped staring into the distance. I walk over to her and I see a large fire engulfing the forest.

"Do you think that was one of them?" I ask, referring to our attackers. They ran off into the woods after the attack. Demcia nods.

"It's likely. I think the girl was injured." She says with a slight tone of hope. I turn to return to the lake when I stop in my tracks. The water has reduced significantly, and only a little remains. I refill my bottle with the last of the water. _The Gamemakers are trying to push us together,_ I think to myself. _The forest fire, emptying the lake, they want a battle._

I tell Demica about the lake and she just shrugs it off.

"When should we leave? Finding a new spot we can hold out on might be a good idea." I ask her.

"We should move during the anthem. The noise can cover our tracks." I nod in agreement. Knowing it will start soon, I begin to pack up all our supplies. Just as I imagined, the anthem begins. As we move away from the fire, I glance up to see the faces of the fallen. The first face is the boy from Three. I feel guilty that I forgot about him, but guilt is replaced by slight joy when the face of the girl from Five projects in the sky. I'd hope her partner's face would show in the sky as well, but it does not. The last face to project is Samuel. The anthem ends and Demica and I walk in silence away from the horrors we endured, towards new horrors we can only imagine.

* * *

Callista Beaufort, District 4

I have never been this thirsty in my entire life. I've been using the method the boy from Three had mastered, but it does not satisfy me completely. I start to pity people in other districts, those who do not have the luxury that our district does. I think about the seven other tributes that stand in my way, seven more need to fall before I can return home. Five of them won't be a problem, it's Majesty and Neptune that worry me. I could take them individually, but together I know they would overwhelm me. I was hoping the sky would show one of their faces, but I was let down. As the anthem fades away, I'm overwhelmed by the silence in the arena. Back at home, the Capitol always focuses on the action. They tend to skip past the tributes sitting around around, like I am as well. Before entering, they created an allusion of constant action, constant fighting. But alas, here I am, sitting and waiting, trying not to die of thirst.

In the distance I see a hint of smoke, with a flicker of light. I assume it's a campfire, but I quickly realize the amount of smoke is too great for a normal campfire. I conclude the forest is alight and I am thankful I am on the other side of the arena. I wonder what the Gamemaker's plan is. Since we're at the final eight, they may be planning to host a feast soon. Suddenly it hits me, I have made it to the final eight. I let a smile form on my face. I'm not too surprised I've made it this far, with my training, but it's still a relief knowing I've done well. My family is proud of me, that's for certain. I wonder what they're saying about me in their interviews. I start thinking about Asher, I wonder how he feels about my actions. I wonder if anything will develop between us once I return home. I may not be opposed to it, this time.

I let my happy thoughts lull me to sleep, excited for the moment I can return home a victor.

* * *

Fodille Earthdrop, District 11

I was able to sense the danger before it was too late, and escaped the forest unscathed. Based on the cannon fires from earlier, I know not everyone can say the same. Now, I walk aimlessly in one direction, hoping to find some kind of supplies.

I found a strawberry bush in my path and pulled as many off as I could hold. The juices refresh me as I continue walking through the arena. I try to remember everyone who is left. Three Careers, four outliers, and myself. Not a typical Hunger Games, that's for sure. I wonder when the Careers will begin to turn on each other. I wonder if they already have?

Before long I reach the remnants of the Cornucopia. What used to be a beautiful, metal structure has been demolished into rubble. I slowly walk around it, looking for anything useful. I find a dirty medium size back pack. I rustle through it and only find a smushed water bottle. By the state of the bag, there's a good chance the water was full at first. I shake my head in disappointment, but take the bag with me. I place my knife in the bag but keep my sword in my hand. It's clear the Careers have moved base, the question is, where have they gone?

* * *

It's certainly been a minute since I've written anything. I feel bad that these chapters are getting shorter, but I am losing interest in writing. However, I love reading SYOT's and submitting to them, so if you are writing one or know of one that needs tributes, send me a PM!

Layla-You were one of my favorite tributes, I loved you and Holden together. I wish you two had a chance, I'm sorry

Don't forget to review!


	30. Final Eight: The Interviews

Final Eight Interviews

Jewel Ribbon, girlfriend of Majesty Holland, District 1

I stand to the side of the camera crew with Majesty's three sisters as his parents are interviewed. They disgust me, with their lies and manipulation. I can't help but roll my eyes as they talk about how proud they are of him, how they know he wants nothing more than to come home to be with his family again. They don't know shit about him. If they did, he wouldn't be in that arena right now.

Despite everything he's been through, I'm so grateful he found an ally he can trust. The few interactions I've seen of him and Neptune make me so confident in his victory. I know Neptune will not betray him like the other Careers. I just hope he never lets his guard down.

"We've always known he would be our little victor. We're so proud of him." his mother says. I roll my eyes as the cameramen cut and usher his sisters to the spot their parents were just in.

"It's hard seeing him out there, battling with other children. I feel sad for him, I can only imagine what he's going through." Diamond states. I can tell she's struggling to hold back what she truly means, but she knows disowning her parents on national television won't help Majesty win. In fact, it may hurt him in the long run.

The three sisters go back and forth with the interviewer, staying polite but brief with their answers. Once they get enough footage, they usher for me. I take a deep breath and hope no one can tell how nervous I am as I stand in the spotlight.

"How long have you and Majesty been together?" The interviewer asks me.

"We've known each other since we were kids, but we've been together for a few years now. We've grown up together, we love each other." I say with a smile. I hear an awww from someone in the crowd behind me and I turn red.

"What do you think his biggest challenge will be from here on out?" He asks. I am silent for a while before answering.

"Killing his ally." I say honestly. "They've truly developed a good friendship. I wish there could be two winners." The interviewer nods, but I know that answer will not be in the final cut.

We go back and forth a bit more and I keep my answers short. They finally dismiss us all and pack up all their supplies to travel to the next district.

* * *

Theia Beaufort, sister of Callista Beaufort, District 4

I can tell by the crew's actions that they are excited to be interviewing our family. Considering both of my parents are victors, it makes sense. I just wish it could all be over so I could return to the ocean, return to where I am happiest. This life of fame is not for me.

"How does it feel, to watch Callista in the Games? Does it remind you of your own Games?" The interviewer asks my parents. While they decided to interview the three of us together, I have yet so say much. The focus is on the victors, after all.

"Absolutely, it brings me back to my time in the arena." My father answers excitedly. "I remember the hardships I faced in the arena, but I know my daughter. She's smart enough to overcome it and take down her opponents." I can see the slight anger in my dad's expression about the disappointing Career pack this year. Betrayal never sits well.

"I hope she can eliminate her biggest threats before it's too late for her. I miss my baby." My mother says somewhat sincerely. She cares more about the fame and fortune winning will bring than her child's safety. That's just an added bonus.

"What do you make of the whole situation?" The interviewer directs towards me. My eyes widen, I did not expect that.

"Um, it's certainly been an interesting year. I just want Callista to return home." I say quietly. The crew determines I'm of no use for their shots, so they wrap up with a few final questions directed towards my parents. I am relieved when they dismiss us.

We stand behind the cameras as they bring Asher up to answer a few questions. They try to push the romance, but he's not buying it.

"We are just very good friends." He keeps telling the crew, but they don't buy it.

"If Callista returns home, would you ask her out." He laughs with a hint of nervousness.

"That opportunity is long gone. I'm just happy she's still alive, fighting to win. I want her to return home victorious, as a friend." He enforces. The crew is content with his answers, but I have a feeling they will continue to push the romance. The Capitol takes everything too far.

* * *

Aqua Harper, best friend of Neptune Kingsman, District 4

I've tried to stay hidden as the camera crew moves around the district, hoping they don't find me. Unfortunately, someone outs me and the next thing I know the crew is prepping my makeup to be on camera. I can't help but roll my eyes at the stupid comments the crew is making.

While getting prepped, I watch Callista's family and friends get interviewed by the crew. Her parents were never my favorite victors, but her sister seems sweet. I can tell how uncomfortable the boy is when the crew nags him about his love life. I bet they'll try the same thing with me. I sigh as they dismiss the Beauforts and know it's only a matter of time until it's my turn.

They start off with his parents, asking their opinions on their son's strategy and everything in between. His parents are very polite and sweet, complimenting Neptune and his ally. They even throw in some compliments towards the Capitol. Anything to help their son get sponsors.

The crew decides to interview his brothers separately. Sweet little Finn and Cove seem so overwhelmed by the lights and the crowds, they don't get much out of them.

"I just want him to come home." Cove says so quietly. You can see the sadness in his little eyes as he says that. It breaks my heart.

Before I know it, I am up next. I take a deep breath and stand in front of the cameras. I don't know how Neptune does it, knowing he is on camera at all times.

"How long have you and Neptune been friends?" He lingers on the word "friends" in hopes I play along. I don't.

"For a long time, we trained together in the academy growing up." I say no more. I can tell he wanted more than that.

"What do you think he has excelled in the most during his time at the Capitol and in the Games?" I shrug.

"He's definitely a natural with the camera, as well as his years of training in the academy. He's doing the best he can, and I'm proud of him for that." I smile and the crew nods.

They ask a few more simple questions, I assume as filler, before finishing my interview. They ask me one last question before I leave.

"When he returns, do you think you'll become more than friends?" I shake my head no.

"He's the best kind of friend a girl could need. Why ruin that?"

* * *

Calix Hayes, brother of Holden Hayes, District 5

My father and I stand in the lights the crew has set up. A crowd surrounds us, everyone is excited by the camera crew's arrival. I could care less.

I'm impressed Holden has made it this far. I never thought he had it in him. I mean, I wouldn't really care if he came home or not. Living in Victor's Village would be pretty cool, but he'd be more of a prick than he already is. I wish it was him who died instead of Layla. She was victor material.

"Tell us a bit about your family life." The crew asks us. My father sighs.

"The boys lost their mother when Holden was born. We've never fully recovered, but each day we try to heal. We're very proud of Holden for making it this far, we know it hasn't been easy for him. We miss him dearly." I try to keep a straight face as my father speaks.

"How is your relationship with Holden?" They ask us.

"Oh, well I work a lot, so I never got to spend a lot of time with him. He's my son and I love him dearly." My father says. He slightly nudges me and the cameras pan to focus on me.

"We fought, as brothers do, but I'm proud of him. I hope he makes it home." I smile.

"How well did you know Layla Stratton? Her and Holden seemed to have a long history." There is a brief moment of silence, where I contemplate what angle I want to play.

"They've…been friends forever. She spent more time with him than we did, I think. They have always been close, she will be missed." I say sincerely. I didn't know her all that well, but she was a fighter. She deserved a better life.

"Thank you both for your time." The interviewer closes.

* * *

Margaret Langley, grandmother of Demica Langley, District 6

My husband and I stand hand in hand in front of our small little house. It took longer than the crew expected to get my husband out of bed, and I can already tell by the weight he's putting on me he's not feeling well.

"Please, let's make this quickly." I try to ask as nicely as possible. The interviewer nods and the cameras begin rolling.

"Thank you for joining us today. You are Demica's grandparents, correct?" I nod.

"We've been caring for her since her parents passed away. It's unfortunate, but we've been blessed with a sweet grand daughter." My husband grunts with approval.

"Has she surprised you at all, out there in the arena?" I nod.

"I think everyone changes a little when their life is at stake, but I'm very proud of her. Watching her react to that little boys death, it was so heart breaking. I wish I could scoop her up and hold her tight. I just want to tell her everything will be alright." I hold back a tear.

"I miss her." My husband groans out quietly. I nod.

"We just want her to return home to us." I add on.

"She has certainly proved she is capable of handling her own. I wouldn't be surprised if she was District Six's newest victor." The interviewers smile seems sincere.

"Thank you. I hope you're right." I smile at her.

* * *

Casey Hermes, best friend of Rally Toyota, District 6

My family and I stand in Victor's Village as the crew sets up. Rail's family just finished up their interview, which was very heartbreaking. His poor mother could not compose herself, even with her husband comforting her. Too many emotions for a sweet family.

I can tell the crew is excited to interview us next. District Six is usually a disappointing district to visit, but with my dad being a victor, it's exciting.

I'm proud of Rail for making it this far. Tributes his age usually don't do too well, but I knew he had it in him. He's smart and he's been playing it smart. I hope he keeps it up. I miss him, I really do.

The crew finishes setting up the lights and the interviewer comes over to begin.

"It's so good to see you, Mr. Hermes." She says to my dad, the victor. He smiles.

"I thought my time in the spotlight was over, but you guys keep coming back to me." He winks a friendly wink which gets a laugh out of the crew.

"You are very irresistible." The interviewer jokes back. "But unfortunately, not everything is about you. We are here to talk about Rally Toyota, one of the final eight tributes. Casey, how long have you known Rally?" She asks me.

"Ever since we were kids, we've been in the same grade for as long as I can remember. He's easy to get along with." I smile.

"He certainly made us fall in love with him. Has anything surprised you about this years Games?" I shrug.

"Every year is challenging, to watch those you love compete in the Games. But I'm proud of Rally, we haven't seen a tribute make it this far in a while, and this year both our tributes are alive." My mother says. The interviewer nods.

"Thank you for your time, we wish the best for little Rally." The interview concludes.

* * *

Damask Byzantine, father of Lavender Byzantine, District 8

I stand awkwardly in the lights, not something I have ever experienced in my life. I have never enjoyed getting attention like this. But I have to put on a brave face, for Lavender.

"Tell us how you felt on the day of the reapings, the day Lavender was reaped." I shake my head.

"I never thought it would happen. I always went to the reapings with the thought that she would never be reaped. But this year I was wrong. It hurt, it felt like someone ripped my heart out of my chest. I'm so thankful she's made it this far." I say.

"What do you think of the alliance she has formed?" I think back to Demica and Samuel, the two she's been with.

"I think they're good together, I think each has a strength that makes them valuable. They work well together and I'm not worried they'll stab her in the back." I say. I feel slight guilt when I remember that Samuel was killed, but the interviewer doesn't correct me.

"How does it feel knowing she is the youngest tribute still alive?" I shrug.

"She's proved herself thus far, I think if someone else can take out the Careers she has a great shot at winning. She's smart and she's tough. I miss her." I say sadly. The interviewer nods.

"Can you tell us more about what she was like at home?"

"She is a very sweet girl, she is very protective of her family and friends, I know that's one of the reasons she's made it this far. She can hold her own. I'm proud of her."

"Thank you for your time Mr. Byzantine."

* * *

Rubar Earthdrop, father of Fodille Earthdrop, District 11

My wife and I stand side by side, wishing we could mourn the loss of our son in peace. Most never have to endure the horrors of the Games, but we not only have to suffer one loss, we may have to suffer another. I know Fodille is strong, I just hope she stays that way until the end. She needs to, for us.

The interview begins. "How did you feel that day when both of your children were reaped?" My wife lets out a quiet sob.

"We were horrified. It's a feeling we wouldn't wish upon our worst enemy. Having to endure the loss of a child, having to watch Fodille deal with the horrors of the Games, it's sickening." My wife lifts her head up.

"I just want my baby girl to return home." She begins crying and buries her head in my arm.

"She's been doing great out there, she even killed a Career. Can you tell us how you felt when you saw that go down?" I wish I didn't have to.

"I honestly wish she hadn't, but I'm glad she was smart enough to get the upper hand. It could have ended poorly for her. Hell, it almost did. But she came out victorious. It gave us a new confidence in her, if she can handle herself against one of the toughest Careers, she can handle herself against the rest of the competition." I say.

"What advice would you give her, this far in?" I stay silent for a while.

"Stay smart, Fodille. Stay alive, for Farn. Make sure nobody forgets his name." My wife lifts her head up.

"Please, baby, come home. We need you with us." With that, the cameras stop rolling.

* * *

Long time no update, but I'm back and I have a writing bug which means chapters will (hopefully) come out quicker! I'm also starting a new SYOT, the form and rules are on my profile. The story isn't up yet, but it will be soon. (I'd love a co-writer for it, if anyone is interested)

Don't forget to review!


	31. Day Four: An Announcement

Majesty Holland, District 1

Although the fire has died down, the smoke is only getting worse. We continue to move as far away from it as possible, yet it still follows us.

"How long until they put it out?" I ask Neptune. He shrugs, I'm not sure what else I expected.

"I guess when more people die or we all come closer together." He says anxiously. You would think as the numbers dwindled, you would become more confident. But the opposite is happening. The competition becomes more fierce. Knowing Neptune has to die before I can return home is killing me. I start chewing on my nails habitually, my nerves higher than before.

"Let's rest here." He says, taking a seat in the grass. I join him on the ground and stretch out my legs. We share our last loaf of bread, officially out of food. I look around the area we are sat in, wondering if there is anything nearby we could eat. Nothing stands out.

"Want the rest?" Neptune holds out the half full water bottle. I shrug and he hands it to me. I drink it slowly, savoring every last sip. Eventually, that is empty as well. I sigh.

"What's the plan?" I ask. Neptune looks at the trident in front of him, as if it will give him the answers we are looking for.

"We just keep moving. Start with the search for water, then food. Kill any tributes we see, hope they don't kill us. I guess that's all we can do." He says. I lay down on the grass, the sun is slowly coming over the horizon. The heat feels good on my skin. I close my eyes and imagine myself back home. The thoughts make me smile.

* * *

Holden Hayes, District 5

Rally and I haven't spoken much since Layla died in the fire. I don't mind having him around, he seems like a good kid. I just can't get over Layla. It should have been me who died in that fire. She should be the one who is still alive.

Rally taps me on the shoulder and I turn to face him. He holds out his half full water bottle, as if to offer me some. I nod and drink the rest of it, thanking him as I finish. I wonder how long the Gamemakers will keep drying us out. I hope the other tributes are struggling as much as we are to stay hydrated.

I don't realize how late in the day it is until the sun beams down on us. I stop to rest, the sweat already forming. I exhale, wishing I was anywhere else but here.

* * *

Callista Beaufort, District 4

My mouth is dry, my head is pounding. I'm trying to stay sharp and alert, but dehydration is slowly taking effect. I curse at myself for allowing it to get this bad. I slowly walk through the grass, desperate to find a water source.

I find a bush of strawberries and suck the juices out of them before eating them. Before long, every berry on that bush is gone, and my thirst is not. I shake my head in disappointment. Why are they torturing us like this?

The anthem playing scares the shit out of me. I compose myself as Calix Agnes begins to speak.

"Good afternoon tributes. I would like to invite you to a feast. I know many of you are struggling to find water, or even food. This feast will not disappoint. It will be held at the Cornucopia at dusk. I hope to see you all there." The voice fades away, leaving nothing but silence to fill the arena.

I start to contemplate my options. My two biggest threats will most likely attend the feast. But I should be able to get in and out quickly, if I'm the first one. I look at my sword. It's done me well, but I would be much better off with a ranged weapon. I slowly walk in the general direction of the Cornucopia, pushing my thirst to the back of my mind. If I play my cards right, I will get out of that feast better off than my opponents.

* * *

Lavender Byzantine, District 8

As the announcement fades away, I glare at Demica. I can already tell by the look on her face what she's thinking.

"No." I say sternly. "We are not going." Demica looks at me before looking over our supplies. We only have one full water bottle and one apple, which will most likely be gone before the day is over. We still have a dagger, half a bottle of iodine, two first aid kits, and a plastic tarp with a bag to carry it all. We have enough to last us, and I tell Demica this.

"The Gamemakers are drying out the arena though. We haven't found water and we've been searching all day." She notes. I feel thirsty just thinking about it. We've spent all this time searching for nothing.

"Dehydration will kill us." She states.

"So will those other tributes." I remind her.

"We can stay on the outskirts. Wait for the action to be over before we run in and get what's left. It's our best option." She tries to convince me. I put my hands on my head, my gut telling me it's a bad idea.

"If other tributes are as hungry and dehydrated as Calix makes them out to be, they'll be weak and careless. We might be able to kill one of the weaker tributes. Maybe even avenge Samuel." She says in a quiet voice. I sigh, hating the fact that she might be right.

This is not going to end well.

* * *

A feast! It's about time, right?

Don't forget to review! I'm starting a new SYOT, form and rules are on my profile


	32. Day Four: A Feast

Rally Toyota, District 6

The sun slowly sets over the arena, creating a beautiful glow of orange and blue. It's almost mesmerizing.

Holden and I sit a far distance away from the cornucopia, close enough to barely see but far enough away where we're not in danger. My nerves are exploding, my heart is racing like crazy. I won't lie, it was not my choice to come here. I'd rather be hiding, quietly waiting for cannons to fire. But Holden is right, we won't make it far without water. I've seen the effect of dehydration in past Games. It's not pretty.

Just as the sun begins to set, I hear a soft rumble. The rubble of the cornucopia disappears, and a large table appears. Dozens of bottles of water lay on the table, along with some weapons and food. For what feels like forever, no one goes for the table. I'm about to suggest we make our move when I hear rustling a bit to our right.

Two tributes run out to the table. I recognize Demica, my district partner instantly. I don't recognize the second girl. Holden and I stay back, knowing three Careers lie somewhere hidden in the foliage.

Just as the girls finish collecting a few bottles of water, footsteps fill the arena. I see the girl from Four sprinting towards the pair. They turn to run, but the Career is faster. She stabs Demica in the stomach. The other girl screams before quickly grabbing her allies supplies and sprinting away. The Career pulls her sword out. I can tell she's contemplating chasing after her, but her thirst makes her decision for her. She grabs a few bottles as the cannon fires.

Suddenly, I feel a sharp pain in my stomach. I look down and see the end of a machete poking out of my chest, surrounded by my blood. I hear Holden shout as the machete comes out of my body. I fall down, slowly fading to black. The last thing I see is the boys from One and Four, my killers.

* * *

Majesty Holland, District 1

The boy from Six lies dead in front of me. His cannon fires, the second cannon of the feast. His ally stands up, shocked. He holds his dagger up in defense. I swing my machete at him and dodges. We take turns swinging at each other, I nick his arm but it doesn't phase him. He kicks branches in front of us, causing us to stumble before bolting in the opposite direction. I turn to Neptune.

"We need water." He says, not interested in a chase. I nod and we turn our attention back towards the center.

We watch each others backs as we move closer to the water. I fill our bag with three bottles, wary of any opponents that may try to attack. Once we gather as much as we can hold, we slowly leave the center.

We half walk/half jog into the fields, taking a brief break to drink some water. As I finish one of our new bottles, I see Neptune raise his trident towards me. My heart sinks, before he commands, "Duck."

I do as he says and he throws it over my head. I turn and see Callista dodging the throw by just a few inches. She swings her sword at me, deeply cutting my arm. I swear and jump back, dropping the bottle and pulling out my machete.

She swings at me again but this time I block. I swing at her, cutting her shirt but I don't cut skin. She kicks out my legs and Neptune tackles her before she can swing again.

I stand and watch Neptune get punched in the face. Callista gets him off of her pretty quickly before swinging at me again. This time, she gets a deep slice across my chest. I taste the blood in my mouth and blood loss takes over. I see Callista look over her shoulder at Neptune. He throws his trident again and it skims her arm. She takes off running, not wanting to risk a third throw.

I collapse on the ground and Neptune kneels beside me.

"Oh my god, Majesty…." He says, choking up. I try to keep my breathing steady, but know it's no use. The damage is irreversible.

"Please, win." I ask him quietly. He nods.

"I'm so sorry." He says softly.

"It's okay, I'm okay." I smile at him as I start to fade away. I might have imagined it, but I hear a cannon fire just as I fade to black.

* * *

Fodille Earthdrop, District 11

As soon as Calix announced the feast, I got as far away from the cornucopia as possible. Another bloodbath is the last thing I need.

The sun sets on the arena. I think about the three cannons that fired today and wonder who they could belong to. It's sick, but it makes me happy. Three less competitors until I can return home.

The air becomes chilly and soon I have to put my jacket on to stop shivering. I find a small bush of berries and slowly snack on them, trying not to think about the water that I missed out on.

 _At least you're alive._ I keep telling myself.

As I suck the juices out of the berries, the anthem begins playing. I look to the sky and I'm shocked. The first face in the sky is the boy from One. A feeling of relief sweeps over me. Only two Careers left.

I don't have enough time to wish to see another Career face when the girl from Six is projected into the sky. Her district partner follows, and the anthem fades away. Silence fills the arena. Only four more tributes stand in the way of me returning home.

I close my eyes and think about Farn. I think about my parents. I know they're all proud of me. I smile and let the happy thoughts guide me to sleep.

* * *

Feasts are always deadly, unfortunately

Demica-You were kind and you were determined, I'm sorry it didn't get you further

Majesty-You had a good heart for a Career, it was a lot of fun writing you and Neptune together

Rail-Such a sweet kid, you deserved better

The final five! Who do you guys want to win?


	33. Day Five: Loss

Lavender Byzantine, District 8

My heart races a million miles an hour, despite knowing I'm not in danger. Well, that's not true. I'm always in danger in the arena.

I returned to the lake that is now completely dried out. I'm trying to keep my composure after Demica's death, but I'm struggling. She was slain in front of me, and there was nothing I could do to stop it. I look down at my hands and they refuse to stop shaking. I take a few deep breaths, which barely help.

I open one of the bottles I got from the feast, drinking it slowly. I shake my head in disappointment. _Was it worth it?_ I think to myself. _Another life gone, another tribute lost to the Games._ I pull my knees to my chest.

Demica and Samuel will never grow up. They'll never get married, start a family, they'll never get to live. The harsh reality of the situation is killing me inside. I know I couldn't go home if they were still alive, but the thought tears me up inside.

I shake my head. Damn the Capitol. They should throw twenty four of their children into these Games, see how it makes them feel.

I start to dream about a world where things were reversed. Would it really make me feel better if I saw Capitol children fight in the Games? I sigh and lay down in the grass, trying to get comfortable.

I know Samuel and Demica would want me to win, so I will. For them. No one will forget their names.

* * *

Holden Hayes, District 5

Anger and disappointment fill my thoughts. Anger that I couldn't protect another one of my allies. Disappointment his death was for nothing, I didn't get anything out of the feast.

I felt a slight feeling of happiness when I saw the boy from One in the sky, but that feeling faded as quickly as it came when I saw little Rail's face in the sky. I didn't get to know him that well, but he helped save my life. And all I did was get him killed.

I think about the remaining tributes. The boy from One died, which leaves the pair from Four as the remaining Careers. The girls from Eleven and Eight are left, along with me which makes five. The final five, four more must die before I can go home.

Both Layla and Rail would want me to win. District Six will never forgive me for what happened, I know that.

I'm so close to winning, I cannot screw up again. There aren't third chances in the arena.

I take a few deep breaths before rising, determined to get out of this arena alive.

* * *

Callista Beaufort, District 4

I wander through the grasslands, high on adrenaline, trying not to get too cocky. Majesty is dead, one of my biggest competitors has been eliminated. I wish I had killed Neptune as well, but I knew he would easily overtake me. That was a risk I was not willing to take.

I managed to gather a decent amount of supplies from the feast. I filled a sack with three bottles and a few apples. As I walk I snack on an apple, not realizing how famished I was as I eat. Before I know it, the apple is gone. I decide to wait before eating another, hoping my stomach will settle during the wait.

The sun slowly rises over the horizon, making me realize how quickly time has passed. I try to remember exactly how long I've been in this arena. A week? It sounds right, but I won't know for sure until the Games are over.

I think about my family, and wonder what they are doing in this moment. They must have been interviewed by now, I wonder what they said. I know they're proud of me, and they want nothing more than me to come home. I smile at the thought of my sister, my parents, even Asher. I never realized how much I would miss them.

Just a few more kills before I can leave victorious.

* * *

Fodille Earthdrop, District 11

I am parched. That's the one thought that takes over my thoughts. The lack of water is having an effect on me. I feel weaker, slower, not as alert. I feel scared at the thought of running into another tribute. Nothing will protect me, nothing but myself.

I slowly collapse into the grass, trying to catch my breath. Most of me regrets not going to the feast. Who would have paid me any mind? No one knows I can kill, they just see me as another weak outlier. But a part of me knows it was a smart decision. I may have gotten lucky killing Chaze, but I would not have been so lucky a second time.

I close my eyes, wishing my headache would go away. I put my hands on my head. I hear a soft rustling behind me, but the noise isn't loud enough to be a person. But, could it be?

I slowly turn as the girl from Four swings her sword at me. She's the last thing before I join Farn in death.

* * *

Fodille-You're with your brother now 3

I'm nearly done writing the Games! It's been difficult to chose a victor, as I've grown attached to everyone.

Don't forget to review!


	34. Day Five: Dwindling Down

Callista Beaufort, District 4

The clap of thunder wakes me from my sleep. My body aches all over. I groan and sit up, trying to get the dirt and grass out of my hair. I look up at the sky and see dark clouds have taken over. I can't even tell what time of day it is thanks to the rain.

I quickly realized I am completely soaked. I sigh and gather my belongings. The storm doesn't appear to be going anywhere, so I move in the general direction of the forest.

I can only see a few feet in front of me, so I move very slowly. With all the noise, another tribute could be right behind me and I would never notice.

I stumble upon the lake and stop to get a feel for my surroundings. The lake reminds me of the one back home. I close my eyes and remember the day of the reaping, racing Asher like a couple of children. I smile at the thought, wishing I could go back.

As I'm lost in thought, I hear a noise in the distance. I open my eyes and my heart races. Was it just the thunderstorm, or is there a tribute nearby? Is my mind playing tricks on me?

I grab my sword and crouch down, unsure if it belongs to a human or an animal. As I get closer, I see the girl from Eight picking berries off a bush. Now's my chance.

I swing the sword at her back and she's dead before she even knew what happened. I hear a faint cannon fire underneath the sounds of the storm.

 _The final three_. I sigh. _I can do this._

* * *

Neptune Kingsman, District 4

Was it a clap of thunder, or a cannon? My muddled brain cannot be sure.

I've been trying to distract myself from Majesty's death, trying to stay busy and stay focus. Callista is out for blood, it's guaranteed the last cannon fire was her kill, if it was indeed a cannon.

I'm not only fighting for myself, I'm fighting for Majesty. Majesty, who was forced into the Games by his parents. Majesty, who struggled with anxiety. Majesty, my friend who died in my arms. I try to shake the awful thoughts out of my head, but I am unsuccessful.

They taught me how to hold a weapon, how to kill, how to win the Games. But they failed to teach me how to deal with a loss like this. They failed to teach you how the Games drain you.

Winning won't bring peace. Winning isn't an escape. They'll revisit these Games, they'll revisit the failed alliances, the murders. I'll have to sit there and pretend I am okay. Pretend the lives lost here don't haunt me. I'll have to watch two kids go through the same things I've been through every single year. I'll have to live with the knowledge I will always lose one. How do we go on like this? How are the Games allowed to exist year after year?

The rain does not lighten up and cold seeps through my skin. Regardless of how I feel, I have to make it home. I need to see my family again. I need to remember him. No one in the Capitol will.

* * *

Holden Hayes, District 5

Layla visits me in dream, her electric blue eyes shining in the light. We are back at the fields by my house, like we used to be. Everything feels so familiar. My heart aches for familiarity.

" _What do you think life was like before the Games?" She asks me. I shrug._

" _A lot calmer." She smiles._

" _No, I'm serious. What would life be like, if we weren't treated like trash? If we weren't forced to kill each other for the pleasure of the Capitol? Would we be happier?" I look at her, thinking of an answer. But none come._

" _Maybe one day it will end. The Capitol will have enough of it. It would all just be an awful memory. Our children would be safe." My face immediately reddens at the mention of children. But she doesn't acknowledge the comment._

" _I miss you, Holden." She says softly, showing a level of vulnerability I've never seen in her. Her eyes glisten._

" _I miss you too, Layla." Sadness consumes my voice. I lean in to hug her tightly, but she fades away. I am left alone._

The clap of thunder wakes me from my dream. I feel empty, a void in my heart. First Layla, then Rail. How many more ways can the Capitol torture me like this?

* * *

Lavender-I'm sorry girl, you didn't deserve this

The final three! Sorry this chapter was so short, but the next chapter will be the final one of the Games!

I'm not going to lie, I have always loved these three. It was hard picking a victor, and I know not everyone is going to be happy with the decision.

Don't forget to review!


	35. Day Five: The Final Fight

Holden Hayes, District 5

The anthem comes quicker than I expected. I take a look at the sky, wondering who remains.

First they project the girl from Eight. I feel guilt that I don't remember anything about her. I had hoped one of the Careers would have been in the sky, but luck hasn't been on my side recently.

She is followed by the girl from Eleven, the girl who's brother was murdered in front of her. I hope wherever they are they're together. I hope they are blessed with peace.

My heart drops at the thought of fighting the pair from Four. From what I remember, both are deadly with most weapons. And they're smart, not like some of the others. They won't make the fight easy.

The sun rises quicker than it should. The Gamemakers must be eager for a fight.

I gather my things and take a look around the forest. The rain has finally subsided, leaving a light fog to cover the forest. I slowly walk in no particular direction, hoping to warm up before I come across a threat.

The trees settle behind me and I come across the field the cornucopia used to lie in. The metal structure never reappeared after the feast. Nothing remains except the indentation of the grass marking the outline of the structure.

I see movement to my left and immediately crouch down, hoping the grass helps conceal me. The boy from Four reveals himself, his eyes fixated in my direction. I grip my dagger tightly and dodge his first trident throw. He pulls out a machete and runs at me. I duck under his first swing and stab my dagger in his hamstring. He swears, kicking me with his uninjured leg. He stabs the machete down on my stomach. Pain takes over my body and the metallic taste of blood fills my mouth and nose.

He pulls the dagger out of his leg and as he is about to bring it down on me, the sound of branches breaking makes him turn around. His district partner throws her sword at him, barely missing him. He pulls his machete out of me, dropping my dagger, and weakness takes over. I can't fight, let alone move. All I want is the pain to end.

* * *

Neptune Kingsman, District 4

The cannon doesn't fire, but the boy is too injured to move. I want to put him out of his misery, but I can't keep my eyes off of her. I try to ignore my pain in my leg as I face my competitor. Callista, who has always been my biggest competitor. Callista, who has the upper hand. If I can keep a weapon away from her, I can defeat her.

I pick up her sword and swing it at her. She dodges and picks up the boy's dagger. She can't get close to me, so we stand facing each other, waiting for the other to make the first move.

The cannon of the dead boy distracts her for just a brief second, long enough for me to get a good swing at her face. I get a deep cut on her cheek and blood immediately starts flowing. Anger takes a hold and she throws the dagger at me, hitting my shoulder. I fall to one knee and she manages to get behind me, kicking me to the floor. I manage to get on my back and hold the sword up as protection. She makes the mistake of grabbing the blade. I push it deep into her skin, causing her to scream. She pulls her hands back and I see both her hands are covered in blood. She punches my face and I use my good leg to kick her off me. I manage to get on top of her, worn out from the injuries, the days in the arena, the stress that has taken its toll on my body. As I go to stab her, I feel an awful pain in my temple. She hit me in the head with a rock. My vision goes blurry and I lose track of the sword. I find it only when it enters my back. I collapse on the ground next to the boy from Five, joining Majesty in death.

* * *

Callista Beaufort, District 4

I fall to my knees, the tears flowing out of my eyes as Neptune's cannon fires. Emotions control my body, affected by pain I've never felt before. Blood blinds one eyes and the fear of losing my hands makes me start hyperventilating. They said being crowned victor would be a good feeling…a feeling of relief, of joy. Instead all I feel is pain and sadness.

The hovercraft comes to take me away from what will haunt my nightmares for the years to come.

I fade in and out of consciousness as the doctors work on my face and my hands. I don't fight them, I don't have the energy too. I lost the energy to do anything.

Hours pass before I regain enough willpower to sit up.

I see my mentor enter the room, a proud yet sad look upon her face. She hugs me.

"You did good." She whispers. The tears start up again and she holds me tighter.

 _This is it. This is what my life will be like, from now until the end of time._

* * *

A fight, it was. Congratulations to Callista, victor of the 101st Hunger Games!

Holden-You and Layla were my favorite pair together, had you not had to fight two Careers I think you could have done it. Rest in peace, my man.

Neptune-Deciding between you and Callista was extremely hard. You were so kind and such a fighter.

There will be a recap chapter after this, but I just wanted to thank every single person who read and reviewed this story. I'm excited to start on the next one!


	36. The Recap

The Gamemakers give me a lot of time to recover, physically and mentally. Can't have an ugly, mentally unstable victor representing the nation, now can we?

I look into the mirror as my stylist puts on the final touches of my interview dress. The scar on my cheek has healed, for the most part. A small pink line is still there, but it is hidden behind makeup.

My hands still need ointment, but I can use them for basic tasks. Regardless, my stylists covers them with white gloves.

My dress is simple, yet beautiful. I wear a strapless blue gown that flows like the waves. My hair is left down. I look like myself. It's crazy that I don't feel like myself.

"You've got this." My stylist smiles at me and I manage a smile back.

I stand behind the wings of the stage as Adrian warms the crowd up. I take a deep breath, awaiting my cue.

"She is fierce, she is gorgeous, she is our newest victor, ladies and gentlemen please help me welcome Callista Beaufort!" I manage a friendly smile and wave to the audience as I walk onto the stage and they go wild. I take a seat.

"Congratulations, Callista!" Adrian says with enthusiasm. I smile.

"Thank you, Adrian. It feels good to be out of that arena." The audience applauses.

"I bet it felt good to take a real shower again." Adrian laughs and I manage a smile.

"Yes, it certainly feels good to be out of those fields. I missed sleeping in beds." Another chuckle from the audience.

"Well, let's waste no more time! It's time to watch your Games!" My heart sinks and I only hope it doesn't show on my face.

They start with the reapings, barely spending any time on non-Career districts. They linger on Four, which makes me uncomfortable. It's hard to believe how long ago that day was. I can't even remember what was going through my head that day.

We fast forward to the chariot rides, training scores, and interviews. They focus on the Careers, how kind Majesty was, how beautiful Glamour was, Chaze's fighting skills, Lana's attitude, and Neptune's charisma. They show every minute of the bloodbath, emphasizing Lana's betrayal of the Careers early on. I hear a snotty comment about how they're glad she wasn't the victor, which irritates me more than it should.

I try to tune out the rest of the Games as they only bring back poor memories. My heart sinks when watching the footage of Majesty and Neptune together. They really did bond, it wasn't just a show. Guilt takes over my body. _I'm the reason they are dead._

The final showdown is hard to watch as well. It's strange watching myself on that screen, it doesn't even feel like it's me up there. I feel guilt for Holden, his slow and painful death gives me goosebumps. The fight between me and Neptune seems to go on forever. But I come out victorious.

I ended the Games with six kills, I murdered six other tributes to be sitting where I am. I shudder. Six families are cursing my name. Six families will want me dead. One of those families lives in my own district.

The video ends and they put the spotlight back on me.

"Congratulations again, Callisa. This is a Games nobody will forget." I smile politely before exiting the stage.

 _I know I certainly won't forget it, Adrian. How could you forget those horrors?_

* * *

And with that, the 101st Hunger Games have ended! Thank you to everyone for reading and reviewing, I had a lot of fun with these characters and I'm excited to start on the next SYOT


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